LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



^^■A\,mv 




RECOLLECTIONS 



OF 



Revolutionary Times 

OR 

ROUND ABOUT THE YULE-LOG 

BY 

A CHURCH-WARDEN s^-^^v^^ 

( ^tD 15 1895 

ILLUSTRATKD KY V^/Jr ^...m.*^'^^ 

CHARLES G. BUSH and REGINALD T. SPERRY 



77rv CL^^ 



"Do then as your progenitors have done, 
And by their virtues prove yourself their son." 

Dryden 



9 



^\ '^ 



Copyrighted iSqs, 
By C. a. BREWSTER. 



^- 



MANUFACTURED BY 

F. H. GILSON COMPANY 

BOSTON 



TO THE NUMEROUS DESCENDANTS OF 

SERGEANT JOHN BOUTON, 

A PLANTER, DEFENDER, AND LEGISLATOR OF THE COLONY 

OF CONNECTICUT. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIO]!iS. 













PAGE. 


1. 


Family party .... Frontispiece 


2. 


Holly and ivy 






14 


• 3. 


Hasty departure 








16 


4. 


Boar's head 








31 


5. 


Winchester Cathedral 








33 


6. 


Wells .... 








35 


- 1. 


Salisbury 








37 


8. 


Tintern Abbey 








41 


9. 


Loving cup 








44 


10. 


Children in procession 








55 


11. 


Witches' Lane 


. 






62 


12. 


Money Diggers 








64 


13. 


Daisies . 








66 


14. 


Leeds Church . 








72 


15. 


A Renovated Chancel 








74 



(1) 



ADVERTISEMENT. 



An account of the semi-centennial celebration of the 
laying of the corner-stone of the Church of the Holy 
Cross, Troy, N. Y., will be found in Appendix B. " See 
Appendix C, for Choral Service." 



(0) 



TABLE OF co:n^te:n^ts. 



PAGE. 

Preface ........ 5 

Chapter I. Around the Yule-log and all about old 

Colony times ...... 7 

Chapter IL Adventures of a loyalist by sea and land 

and how he escaped the redcoats and skinners 1 5 
Chapter III. Stormy passage — A privateer en- 
countered — Thanks returned in St. Paul's 

Cathedra] for deliverance . . . 21 
Chapter IV. Town and country — Christmas hunt 

in Yorkshire . . . . . 25 

Chapter Y. Strasbourg, and animal magnetism 29 

Chapter YI. Cathedral tour through Rural England 32 
Chapter YII. The Yalley of the Wye and Tintern 

Abbey . . . . . . 40 

Chapter YIII. Highwaymen on Hounslow Heath 45 

Chapter IX. Return to America ... 48 
Chapter X. Dr. Holyoake and the Church at 

Whiteplains ...... 52 

Chapter XI. Romantic drives and Witches' Lane 61 
Chapter XII. Deacon Doolittle and what became 

of the ruby ring . . . . . 67 

Editor's Postscriit . . . . . . 72 

Appendix ....... 74 



IIS^TKODUCTOKY. 



Some years since a clergyman, connected with the 
Parish of St. Paul's, Troy, N. Y., was making in- 
quiries about the traditions of the Parish and was 
civil enough to declare that he got more information 
from the writer than from any one else. If the Mis- 
sion Church of the Holy Cross be considered a 
branch of St. Paul's Parish, he certainly had a good 
foundation for the polite remark, for, alas, the 
Editor of these Christmas Stories was better quali- 
fied to give the early history of the Mission than 
any other person now hving. 

Several attempts having been made without suc- 
cess, he at length determined on a sort of allegorical 
history of the Institution, beginning with the plant- 
ing of the Church in Norwalk, Conn., in the days 
of good Queen Anne. 

The following stories of " Revolutionary Times " 
are the result, and it is hoped will be found appro- 
priate on this Semi-Centennial. 

The Church of the Holy Cross was opened for ser- 
vice on Christmas Eve, 1844, but was not formally 
consecrated until December 6, 1848. It was, per- 
haps, really consecrated on Christmas, 1844, by the 

(i) 



Introductory. ii 

prayers of the founder and her children, with whom 
the enterprise was a work of faith. Their hopes 
and anticipations liave been more than realized. 

The idea of a Free Church and Choral Service 
may have seemed to some persons in those days 
rather visionary. The ecclesiastical authorities of 
the Diocese and the rector of St. Paul's did not, how- 
ever, entertain such an opinion. Bishop Williams, 
who was at that time rector of St. George's, Schenec- 
tady, sympathized heartily with us in our views and 
wishes, and suggested the Rev. J. Ireland Tucker, a 
Deacon just out of the Seminary, as the fittest per- 
son to carry out the design of the pious Founder. 

Doubtless others may have thought of the expe- 
diency of the Choral Service in America, but it was 
by the advice and approbation of the late Bishop 
Wainwright, then assistant minister of Trinity 
Parish, New York, that the attempt was first made, 
and this attempt was in St. Paul's Church on Eas- 
ter day, 1842, which experiment resulted in the es- 
tablishment of the Choral Service in the Church of 
the Holy Cross. The example was but slowly fol- 
lowed, first in the Church of the Advent, Boston, and 
then, when Dr. Cutler went to New York, it was 
established in Trinity Church and Chapel. See 
Appendix B. ^^^ ^ ^^ 

Author of Lady of Laioford, 

and other Christmas Stories. 
Ida Cottage, 

Mt. Ida, iSg4. 



RECOLLECTIONS 

OF 

REVOLUTIONARY TIMES 



CITAPTEE I. 

" The old north breeze thro' the skeleton trees, 

Is chanting the year out drearily; 
But loud let it blow, for at home we know 

That the dry logs crackle cheerily." 

Albert Smith. 

On Christmas Eve in the year 18 — a 
family party was gathered round the yule- 
log in an old farmhouse situated at the head 
of a bay or inlet in the ancient town of 
]^^orwalk, Conn. A huge log drawn from 
the woods on the farm where it had been 
seasoning during the summer months had 
been rolled into the kitchen with hand-spikes 
and placed on the hearth of a "spacious fire 
place which occupied nearly one side of the 

C7) 



8 Recollections 

apartment, and had been lit as in the " Olden 
Time, " in the midst of many good wishes 
for a Merry Christmas. It had been the 
custom for generations to observe Christ- 
mas-eve in this manner, a custom evidently 
derived from Old England and not from 
the Puritanical founders of New England, 
who gloried in its thanksgiving turkeys and 
pumpkin pies, ^o work could be done on 
the farm so long as that log would burn, 
which you may be sure would be made to 
hold out for three days at least. Among 
those who were warming themselves by the 
ruddy blaze that was rearing up the spa- 
cious chimney, was an old man whose head 
was hoar with age and who with his portly 
person filled a capacious arm-chair solid 
enough to support one of his goodly weight 
and proportions. In response to the re- 
quest of one of the children who was sit- 
ting on his knee, he was discoursing of 
Christmas in the ''Olden Time." This ring- 
leader of the children gathered round was 
a delicate fairy-like figure who might have 
been in her teens, but was, in reality, not 
above twelve years of age. It was she who 



OF Revolutionary Times. 9 

had led the band of young voices in then' 
welcome of the yule-log, singmg the Yule- 
Song as it was rolled into the kitchen by 
the boys. [See appendix.] Her complex- 
ion was fair and ruddy with a profusion 
of black curly ringlets, and a pair of bright 
eyes which she kept fixed on her grand- 
fathei* with an earnest, inquiring look. The 
old man, thus addressed, set down a tank- 
ard of mulled cider that he had just been 
drinking, and patting the girl's curls said — 
"Mary, would you know all about the 
'Olden Time' and the marvelous events that 
followed the arrival of our forefathers to 
this land of promise? Then sit down on my 
foot-stool and I will tell you what happened 
in my time and in the old time before the 
Revolution, which great event, although 
promising a glorious future, was full of 
doubt and difficulty; and had not a kind 
Providence raised up for us one who led us 
through the wilderness, even as Moses led 
the children of Israel, our Revolution Avould 
have been a most miserable failure. " 
" Grandpa, they do say you can recollect 
about old times, even what happened before 



10 E,ECOLLECTrONS 

the French War where my uncle distin- 
guished himself at the capture of Quebec. " 
" Yes, my child, and the sword which he 
wore on that glorious occasion hangs over 
the parlor mantelpiece. Those were the 
times when Ave of Connecticut lived in daily 
apprehension from the Indians and the 
French of Canada, who frequently made in- 
cursions as far south as the Valley of the 
Mohawk. They had even scalped and burnt 
the inhabitants of Schenectady; while Al- 
bany was in constant danger, as it was only 
fortified by palisades which afforded 
scarcely more protection than an ordinary 
high fence. The English colonists were, 
moreover, threatened from the West, which 
was also occupied by the French. So then 
we colonists cried aloud to the mother-coun- 
try. The King, hearing our prayer, made 
war on the French King; Canada was con- 
quered and we were delivered from great 
peril." Here little Mary interrupted. "Was 
not that the war that my uncle Joseph wrote 
the history of ? " " Yes, and we had the 
manuscript which was preserved with care 
by your cousins until the house where it 



OF Revolutioxaky Time.j. 11 

was kept was burnt by the British in spite 
of the protests made bj them that your 
uncle had borne the colors of his regiment 
by the side of Wolfe on the heights of the 
Plains of Abraham, but the mercenary sol- 
diers, being Hessians, could not understand 
a word of EngHsh. This house also would 
have been burnt had it not been saved by a 
good lady who said in the hearing of Gov. 
Tryon that the proprietor was a good 
friend to King George when the Governor 
called out to the soldiers to forbear." Here 
little Mary said " Our yule-log seems to 
have been a talisman bringing good luck to 
the house and all surrounding it. I have 
heard also. Grandpa, that uncle Moses was 
with General Montgomery, when like Wolfe 
he was killed before the same fortress, when 
attempting at the beginning of the Revolu- 
tionary War to take Quebec from the 
English. " " That is quite true," said the 
old gentleman, " and my youngest brother 
was under age at the time. It is curious 
to see how my eldest and youngest brothers 
show their French descent; for with their 
forefathers for many generations war was 



12 Recollections 

their principal occupation. It was my great 
grandfather who, after the fall of Rochelle, 
came to this country with the Puritans who 
settled Connecticut. You should know 
that ^ew England was settled more than 
two hundred years ago by the Puritans who 
rebelled against the church of England not 
liking her rites and ceremonies which they 
maintained were Popish or pagan in their 
origin, and Parliament in Oliver Cromwell's 
time went so far as to make it penal even 
to observe Christmas day. However, that 
act was speedily repealed on the hajDpy 
restoration of Charles II, when the church 
was tolerated here, although not the estab- 
lished religion of the 'New England colo- 
nists." The other children gathered round 
their grandfather now began to show signs 
of uneasiness, for a table had been set 
whence arose an appetizing odor of pies and 
cakes just drawn from the oven. The blaz- 
ing yule-log was reflected back from a dres- 
ser of gleaming pewter which might have 
rivaled silver itself. After grace had been 
said the old gentleman called on all to re- 
joice, especially on this night of all the year 



OF Eevolutionaky Times. 13 

of "Peace on earth, good will towards 
men." The children concluded the supper 
by singing that most ancient Christmas 
carol, " Christmas in the Olden Time, " ac- 
companied by a violincello; whilst roast 
oysters piping hot were brought in from 
time to time from an adjoining ajDartment. 

" Christmas comes, the time of gladness 

Which om- fathers gave to mirth ; 
Then no room had they for sadness, 

Joyous at the Saviour's birth: 
Then each homestead decked with holly, 

Bay and ivy leaves were seen, 
Winter's brow of melancholy 

Cheering with a chaplet green." 

In the midst of these gambols who should 
come in but cousin Jakin, or " Jack" as he 
was called by the children, an old bachelor 
and a great favorite with them, who had 
been a great traveller in his youthful days, 
and in the time of the Revolutionary War 
had accompanied a clergyman returning to 
England (one of the society for the Prop- 
agation of the Gospel) ; for these mission- 
aries generally returned to the old country 
after the Declaration of Independence, 



u 



Recollections 



especially if their churches were closed or 
burnt by one or other of the contending 
factions. But the children tiring of their 
sports gathered round him now, seated in 
the old arm-chair by the yule-log, whilst 
little Mary besought him to relate his ex- 
perience of Revolutionary times. 




OF Revolutionakt Times. 15 



CHAPTER II. 

" Waning moons their settled periods keep, 
To swell the billows and ferment the deep." 

Addison. 

" Soon after the Declaration of Indepen- 
dence I was drafted for the Continental 
Army ; but your grandfather, miAvilling that 
I should serve, procured a substitute, which, 
however, the military authorities would not 
accept. It may be that they looked on one 
of our family as a hostage in the army. 
Moreover your grandfather, being a zealous 
Churchman, was suspected of lack of pa- 
triotism; for in those days Church and King 
were supposed to be inseparable. Besides, 
I was a good shot among our militia. Your 
uncle Moses coming over from Washing- 
ton's army gave a terrible account of the 
destitution of the troops, and of the hard- 
ships suffered by them so that the soldiers, 
in derision, were called ' Barefoots. ' Of 
course all this alarmed my parents who had 



16 Recollections 

no idea of their boy serving as a private 
soldier, especially as both of his uncles had 
been commissioned officers, one in the old 
French War and the other in our own Rev- 
olution. My father being devoted to the 
Church of England was greatly alarmed at 
the idea of independence ; for it was thought 
^ No King, no Church,'' Indeed, in Connec- 
ticut, Churchmen were only tolerated ; and 
without royal support they naturally appre- 
hended a revival of the intolerance of the 
seventeenth century. If it had not been for 
party spirit which ran high they might have 
remembered that Washington and the lead- 
ing men in Congress were Churchmen. 
Perceiving how the matter stood I suddenly 
took French leave, and one moonlight night 
with the help of my brother Stephen crossed 
the Sound in a sail boat to the Long Island 
shore, then in possession of the British. As 
we encountered not only a north-east storm 
but an English man-of-war under full sail 
we prudently kept in shallow water, not 
willing to run the risk of being impressed 
for seamen. It took us nearly all night to 
cross. Tired and sleepy I managed to find 






J.^l\.. V 










OF Revolutionary Times. 17 

my way to the house of a friend of your 
grandfather's, who m happier days had 
married a daughter of our neighbor, Grov. 
Fitch, the last Colonial Governor of Connec- 
ticut. Her husband was from home; the 
good lady, however, heard my story and 
promised me protection. 'But you are in 
danger ' said she, ' for the red-coats make 
the rounds every night looking for spies. 
One was hung the other day on slight evi- 
dence. I will hide you to-night, but you 
had better to-morrow morning make your 
way to the Commander of the forces, who 
resides at Rock Hall, not many miles from 
here. As I happen to know the Colonel 
I will give you a line of recommendation.' 
So saying she took me up into the garret 
and, in a narrow space between the chimney 
and the rafters of a lean-to roof which 
covered the kitchen below, I was ensconced, 
protected by barrels and bags. Shortly 
after I heard the tramp of soldiers who 
seemed not to suspect that there could be 
anyone behind the chimney. When they 
were gone I had a game suppei*, and was 
shown to the guest-chamber where I had a 



18 Recollection^s 

comfortable bed. The next morning early 
I was on my way to Rock Hall but was 
shortly overtaken by a peddler who gave 
me a lift. The Colonel received me politely 
and listened to my story with evident inter- 
est, for he called his man Sambo to bring 
us a tankard of cider, which A^essel I ob- 
observed was silver and of quaint device. 
The Colonel and I drank together ^A 
health to the King and a speedy end of 
our unhappy war.' Before dismissing me the 
Colonel asked me a good many questions 
about the state of the Province, which I 
answered cautiously, for I had no idea of 
acting as a spy on either side. However, 
I did not hesitate to admit that Churchmen 
were unwilling to part with their ministers, 
many of whom were missionaries from the 
S. P. G. who felt bound to return to the 
^Mother Country,' and who were appre- 
hensive of the intolerance of earlier times, 
when the use of the Book of Common 
Prayer Avas illegal. The Colonel observed 
that England had just incurred an enor- 
mous debt in driving out our neighbors, the 
French, in response to our earnest prayer, 



OF Revolutionary Times. 19 

and it seemed but just that we who had 
been benefited should share the expense 
of the French War. The conversation was 
here interrupted by the entrance of Major 
Bourlac whose acquaintance I had made at 
the house of Dr. Smithson, in ^orwalk. 
As I told these gentlemen that I meant to 
try and find the Doctor before I decided 
what I had best to do, the Major at once 
promised to give me a letter of introduc- 
tion to his relatives in ]N^ew York, as he was 
a native of that town, already becoming a 
place of importance. With passport that 
the Colonel furnished me I managed to find 
my way to ]N"ew York, where I rejoined my 
old friend, the Rev. Dr. Smithson, who j^ro- 
cured for me a passage in the ship that was 
to take us to the port of London. The 
Doctor told me it would be some time be- 
fore we sailed and that he had recommended 
me to Gov. Tryon, of IN^ew York, as a bearer 
of dispatches up the Hudson River, for 
which I should receive a handsome remun- 
eration. The mission was deemed somewhat 
dangerous. Major Andre having recently 
been hanged as a spy. The sloop on which I 



20 Eecollection^s 

sailed was armed. As I had never been on 
the Hudson I gladly accepted the position? 
but the vessel was obliged to return to I^ew 
York, after spending a whole day in the 
vain attem]3t to get above the American 
lines. I managed, however, to execute the 
Governor's commission in spite of the 
^ skinners.' A whole day was spent in 
exchanging shot with an American gun- 
boat. The grape-shot rattled about our deck 
like hail. Luckily no one was seriously 
hurt, and thus was I in the Eevolutionary 
War, which was quite enough, seeing that 
I had not been trained to arms and was 
only a spectator. On my return to ^ew 
York I set sail in company with Dr. Smith- 
son, and with a well -filled purse of British 
gold which my father had found means of 
augmenting. Major Bourlac's friends re- 
ceived me with much kindness for which 
they were afterwards called to account at 
the close of the War, when they and other 
Loyalists were banished to Nova Scotia." 



OF Revolutionaey Times. 21 



CHAPTBE III. 

" A ship that through the ocean wide, 
By conduct of some star, doth maiie her way, 
When, as a storm hath dimm'd her trusty guide, 
Out of her course doth wander far astray." 

" We set sail with a fair wind, but in 
mid-ocean encountered severe gales which 
blew us out of our course, so we were much 
nearer the coast of France than England. 
The storm had scarcely abated before we 
met with a privateer who gave chase, but 
under press of canvas we made for the 
coast of England. Fortunately our vessel 
was armed, anticipating some such adven- 
ture, so that we kept up a distant cannon- 
ade for the greater part of the day with- 
out much result on either side, except that 
a round shot from the privateer struck the 
ship near where I was standing and a splin- 
ter unfortunately struck me in the face, 
the wound ultimately causing the loss of 
the sight of one eye which loss entailed, as 
you will see, many disagreeable conse- 



22 Eecollectiok^s 

quences. Some of our shot, however, carried 
away part of the privateer's rigging, which 
had the effect of retarding her pi-ogress a 
little; but we began to feel uneasy at her 
gradual approach, when suddenly an Eng- 
lish ship -of- war hove in sight and seeing 
our precarious situation made after the 
privateer, which was flying colors our 
sailors had never seen before." Here a little 
boy cried out, " Cousin Jack, the flag must 
have been the stars and stripes.""^ "You 
are right, my boy, and the star of Bethlehem 
on its blue ground is, as its color denotes, 
the star of hope, and was wisely chosen by 
the founders of the rising Republic; for 
it seems to foretell a mighty future which 
some of you children may live to see." 

Here the young ones were beginning 
to show signs of revived interest at the 
name " privateer." " These men-of-war 
became engaged and we could hear them 
battling in the distance. There was a 
bright blaze and an explosion, and we after- 
wards learned that the privateer was blown 

* It is said that the flag originated in tlie arms of the 
Washington family. 



OF Kevolutionary TijVIES. 23 

up. Immediately after coming to anchor 
in the Thames below London Bridge my 
pions patron, the Doctor, insisted on our 
going to St. Paul's Cathedral to return 
thanks for our safe deliverance from the 
perils of the deep. Here the Doctor hap- 
pened to meet with an Oxford acquaintance, 
who was one of the Canons of the Cathe- 
dral. We were much impressed with the 
dignity and solemnity of the Cathedral 
service especially with the Litany, chanted 
by two Minor Canons, a full surpliced choir 
responding. As we had nothing like this 
in America it made a great impression on 
our minds. It being high festival the Lord 
Mayor, Sheriffs, and Aldermen were in 
church, in their robes of office, which made 
a brilliant scene taken with the extent and 
grandeur of the Cathedral, in which the 
good Doctor declared we should feel at 
home, as Connecticut was a part of the 
Diocese of London. The next day he and 
his friend found employment for me in 
a great mercantile house not far from 
St. Paul's Cathedral, the great dome of 
which seemed to hover, as it were, over the 



24 Recollectio:n^s 

great metropolis of England." As our yule- 
log was still burning, it was thought it 
would hold out a little longer, so the adven- 
turous traveller agreed to come next night 
and continue the story. He declared, how- 
ever, that they must not expect any more 
jDiratical adventures, for such the contest 
with the privateer might be considered, 
although privateering seemed excusable 
under the circumstances out it was not 
130ssible for the colonies to equip them- 
selves with a regular navy. 



OF Revolutio:n^aky Tidies. 25 



CHAPTER IV. 

"The babbling echo mocks the hounds, 
Replying shrilly to the well-tuned horns;" 

Shakespeare. 

The next night as the cat was purring 
very comfortably in front of the yule-log 
there entered with cousin Jack his favorite 
dog who immediately made for Grimalkin, 
who aroused from her agreeable slumber, 
flew to the top of the clock which she 
reached by way of a towel that hung in the 
corner, from which position she could look 
down on the enemy with calm indifference. 
The dog having been turned out, cousin 
Jack proceeded with his story. " This little 
incident " said he " reminds me of a hunt I 
once witnessed at this season in the hall of 
an old country house in Yorkshire where 
my patron and I were spending the Holi- 
days. A cat was let loose and hunted by a 
couple of hounds introduced for the pur- 
pose. It seemed to be common in the north 



26 Recollections 

of England in ancient times and, like other 
sports and pastimes, had once its religious 
signification; for says the old ballad, 'In ane 
compendius Boke of godly and spiritual 
Song jirinted in Edinburgh, 1621 : — 

'' The hunter is Christ that hunts in haist, 
The hunds are Peter and Pawle, 

The paip is the fox, Rome is the rox, 
That rubbis us on the gall." ' 

The sport in the baronial hall of Sandals 
Manor was in modern times very much 
modified so that the cat managed to escape, 
as she did now. In old times the fox was 
considered almost as great an enemy to the 
farmer as the wolf, consequently both were 
hunted without mercy, and in Wykliff's 
time the exactions of the court of Rome 
were thought to be intolerable not only in 
Britain but in other parts of western 
Christendom. King and Parliament pro- 
tested against this galling taxation Magna 
Charta declared the freedom of the Church 
of England. The Church has always been 
willing to admit the primacy of the see of 
Rome but its supremacy was denied. But, 



OF Revolutiojs^aky Times. 27 

children, perhaps your game of puss-in-the- 
corner is a survival of this curious fox 
hunt. 

However the sound of horn and ' hallo ! ' 
made a very considerable racket and con- 
fusion. 

I remained ^sorne years abroad, as you 
may have heard, and the consequence of 
my misfortune was an apprehension on 
the part of the good Doctor that I might 
lose the sight of both eyes, but skillful 
care saved the sight of one. I had an ear 
for music, and the Doctor procured for me 
instruction on the piano and finally obtained 
for me the position of organist in an old 
church in London, the rectorship of which 
had been presented to him and, being a val- 
uable living, he generously allowed me to 
partake of his good fortune which had been 
greatly increased by handsome bequests 
from a cousin who left him an estate in 
Yorkshire. As the Doctor never married 
he was kind enough to make his house 
my home, and it was so arranged that we 
migrated from London to Yorkshire, where 
we had a country church with a picturesque 



28 Eecollectioxs 

parsonage in one of those model English 
villages you read about in story books. 
The Doctor took me with him on a Cathe- 
dral tour, so that I had an opportunity of 
seeing much of the architectural glory of 
Old England; and, as we travelled on top 
of a stage-coach or in a post-chaise in 
summer, I had also the advantage of wit- 
nessing the unexcelled beauty of the Eng- 
lish landscape adorned with numerous 
venerable ivy-covered ruins and innumer- 
able picturesque villages protected as it were 
by its stately halls and castellated mansions, 
which seemed to make England the fairy- 
land of Europe." 

Here cousin Jack's story was interrupted 
by the supper, after which, the old folks 
having retired to the parlor, he was per- 
suaded to continue his story as follows in 
the next chapter. 



OF Revolutiokaey Times. 29 



CHAPTER V. 

" For spirits, freed from mortal laws, with ease 
Assmne what sexes and what shapes they please." 

" We made a tour of the continent. At 
Strasbourg we visited the Marquis de Cham- 
illy to whom my patron had a letter of 
introduction. The Marquis had a taste for 
occult sciences and was also a believer in 
animal magnetism. He lived in a quaint 
old-fashioned house in the suburbs of Stras- 
bourg in sight of the spire of the Cathedral. 
The house had the reputation of being 
haunted by a poltergeist or gobhn who, tra- 
dition said, mounted guard over ' hidden 
treasure;' indeed the Marquis was said to 
be descended from the good St. IS^icholas 
himself, the patron saint of the Rhineland. 
The poltergeist was said to be especially 
busy on Christmas-eve, being evidently 
then very much concerned about the hidden 
treasure. The rambling old house was sur- 
rounded by a considerable park, in which 



30 Recollection^s 

was an old tree, magnetized by the Marqnis, 
that had worked many wonderful cures, es- 
pecially among the peasantry on his estate, 
around which his patients would sit from 
morning till night breathing the healthful 
breezes that swept over the j^ark, and invig- 
orated by the magnetic fluid which issued 
from the balsamic branches of the tree. The 
Marquis was also a dabbler in those kin- 
dred sciences of Astrology and Alchemy, 
belief in which was still prevalent in the 
jRhineland. He told me that an ancestor of 
his in the days of Cardinal Richelieu had a 
brother who emigrated to America. We 
afterwards learned that the Marquis was a 
victim of the French Revolution." 

Supper being announced and the yule- 
log still burning bright, little Mary begged 
her cousin to continue his story about Old 
England after supper, for she was sure that 
they would all rather listen to his adven- 
tures than play puss-in-the-corner, or any 
other Christmas game. Cousin Jack help- 
ing himself to a slice of head-cheese^ 

* This appears to be a survival of that most famous of 
Christmas dishes, the " Boar's Head." 



OF Revolutio:n^aky Times. 



31 



observed that if they were ready to listen 
he would go on with his Eui'opean adven- 
tures even at the risk of being taken for 
another Baron Munchausen. 




32 Eecollections 



CHAPTEK VI. 

Cathedral Tour in^ Kural England. 

"The growing tow'rs like exhalations rise, 
And the huge columns heave into the skies." 

Pope. 

" But if rural England with its old castles 
and abbeys was interesting to an Ameri- 
can, the Cathedrals Avith their solemn choral 
services were still more so; for England in 
the sixteenth century, unlike Scotland and 
other protestant countries, had preserved its 
Episcopate, looking upon the Bishops as 
the lawful successors of the Apostles, con- 
sidering those words addressed to the 
eleven: ^Lo! I am with you always, even 
unto the end of the world' as a promise of 
the greatest significance. To be sure the 
Bishops had in the Middle ages become iden- 
tified with the secular princes and barons and 
consequently like them were very worldly 
minded; but the people of England resolved 
to reform and not to destroy a divinely ap- 




Winchester Cathedral. 



or Revolutionary Tidies. 33 

pointed institution. It was while we were 
staying at the house of a country gentle- 
man in Devonshire that the idea of bring- 
ing the solemn Cathedral service into this 
country was suggested. 'For,' said the 
good lady of the Baronet, 'you are young 
and have a decided taste for music; why not 
devote your talent to the service of the 
church ? The Archbishop of Canterbury is 
about to consecrate Bishops for America ; 
our Cathedral service if introduced into your 
native country might prepare the way for 
the Cathedral which your Bishops sooner or 
later should have if they are to be like their 
Apostolic brethren of other countries.' My 
patron and I travelled post through the 
southern and western counties tarrying a day 
or two at the Cathedral towns to admire the 
magnificent churches of the middle ages. 
Our first stopping place was Winchester, the 
former capital of Saxon England. The Ca- 
thedral is not only remarkable for its extreme 
length ( 5^5 ft.) but for being a celebrated 
example of perpendicular architecture, l)eing 
designed by its Bishop, William of Wyck- 
ham. As we entered we heard the distant 



34 Eecollections 

music, the singers being hid from view by the 
screen, which separates the choir from the 
nave. As we stood here alone for some time 
in this vast space, looking through the vista 
of the receding arches of the aisle; and 
listening to the unaccompanied voices of 
the choir, it required little to imagine that 
the music we heard was from the spirit- 
world, so celestial seemed the harmony that 
lingered among the arches of the lofty 
vaulted roof. One of the striking pecul- 
iarities of the Cathedral service particularly 
worthy of admiration was the usage of 
chanting the versicles and responses with- 
out the organ; the organ accompaniment 
beginning with the Venite or Psalms. The 
unsupported voices of the choir, heard in 
the distance, was quite ethereal and ren- 
dered the surrounding quiet and repose 
more profound. At Westminster Abbey I 
observed that we did not hear a note of the 
organ until the choir in response to the 
officiating minister ^ The Lord's name be 
praised;' then the organ burst forth with a 
grand flourish, which seemed to fill the vast 
building with a glorious harmony followed 




"Wells Cathedral. 



OF Revolutioxaky Times. 35 

by the unaccompanied voices of the choir, 
the organ coming in softly at the second 
verse which swelled from time to time into 
bursts of sublimity. 

While at Winchester we visited the Hos- 
pital of St. Cross, which with its Cathe- 
dral-like, cruciform Church and Hundred 
Men's Hall, seemed, as the Doctor said, like 
a piece of primitive Christianity, with its 
home for the aged and infirm and its provi- 
sion for the wayfarer of bread and ' jolly 
good ale, and old.' After leaving Win- 
chester Ave continued our journey through 
rural England, taking in our way some eight 
or ten Cathedral cities. Our Cathedral tour 
was made in summer when okl England 
was in a sort of holiday garb of living 
green with its hedgerows and ruined walls 
covered with a graceful mantle of ivy. 
The Cathedral churches were scattered all 
over the country seeming to sanctify the 
land and united as it were in a perpetual 
Hallelujah Chorus. 

But I must hurry on, for it waxes late; 
it suffices to say we were charmed and as- 
tonished with the magnificent front of Wells 



36 Eecollectiois's 

Cathedral, with its multitude of niches and 
statues illustrative of the Te Deum, for 
the front of this noble edifice is truly a hymn 
of praise cut in stone; and the interior of 
the Cathedral is worthy of its stately front, 
for beyond the choir is the octagonal Lady- 
chapel opening into the choir by arches, the 
vista being truly glorious. And then there 
was Salisbury Cathedral with its lofty 
spire the highest in England, and Peterbor- 
ough with its noble front ; to say nothing 
of Yorkminster, the largest in the King- 
dom; and of Canterbury, the metropolitan 
church of England. 

At Salisbury we were entertained at the 
Episcopal palace, for Dr. Smithson had a 
good many friends among the dignitaries 
of the Church, and he and the Bishop were 
graduates of the same College. From the 
window of the dining-room there is an ex- 
cellent view of the Cathedral, the exterior 
of which is the finest in the Kingdom, re- 
markable for its uniformity, having been 
completed according to the original design. 
The central tower spire is 400 feet, the 
loftiest in England, and not excelled by any 




Sahsbury Cathedral. 



OF Revolution"Ary Times. 37 

other in Europe, excepting that of Stras- 
bourg. This grand spire is a striking object 
as you approach the town. We first ob- 
served it at a distance of several miles, and 
as the carriage rolled rapidly towards the 
town by a circuitous route, the spire seemed 
to be moving along in a parallel line, and 
to be keeping -pace with us, whilst nearer 
objects seemed to be flying past in the op- 
posite direction. The following stanza by 
Dr. Heylin, conveys the popular idea of the 
vast extent of the Cathedral : — 

" As many days as in one year there be, 

So many windows in this church we see; 

As many marble pillars here appear 

As there are hours throughout the fleeting year: 

As many gates as moons one year does view, 

Strange tale to tell, yet none more strange than true." 

But this tour of ours through Rural 
England would be incomplete without some 
notice of our very pleasant visit to the Uni- 
versity of Cambridge, which although not 
a Cathedral City, might be considered the 
climax of our tour through Rural England. 
It was Commemoration or as we call it Com- 
mencement week; everything, therefore, 



38 Eecollp:ctioxs 

was to be seen in gala dress. If there is 
no Cathedral at Cambridge there is King's 
College Chapel, which rivals a Cathedral in 
extent and magnificence. Bnilt in the time 
of Henry YI it has ever been considered 
one of the wonders of Gothic architecture. 
The lofty yanlted roof of stone is consid- 
ered a miracle of beauty and art; rever- 
berating echoes till the listener with awe; 
the whole seeming the work of enchant- 
ment. After service we dined with the 
Fellows of Clare Hall at the high table, 
where all the ancient state was observed. 
After dinner, in company with some of the 
Fellows, we strolled through the unrivalled 
Clare Walk. Here long avenues of lime 
trees in full flower filled the air with delicious 
perfume, and their tops meeting above 
our heads formed a sort of Gothic arch of 
densest foliage. Through these ' long drawn 
aisles and leafy vaults' formed by the inter- 
lacing lindens, the air redolent with the 
perfume of flowers as well as vocal Avith the 
note of feathered songsters, we passed an 
agreeable hour, listening to the distant 
chimes of St. Mary's which ever and anon 



OF Kevolutioxary Times. 



39 



stole upon the ear with their enchanting 
melody. 



Cambridge Chimes 



1st Quarter. 



2d Quarter. 



— ^ — ^- 



m 



^ — (2— F- 



3d Quarter. 




4th Quarter. 



Texor Bell 

FOR HOUR. 



-^-P2. 



:t=i:t: 



il 



Note. A full chord should be struck for the liour, 
because a fiue tenor bell when struck gives the sound of 
the chord. The first quarter is a phrase from Handel's, 
*' I know that my Redeemer liveth." This chime is also 
in the tower of Westminster Palace. 

The traveller, however, must have noted down the 
chimes from recollection, as the melody following the first 
phrase is now different. 

Editor. 



40 Kecollections 



CHAPTER VII. 

"No hammers fell, no ponderous axes rung; 

Like some tall palm the mystic fabric sprung; 

Majestic silence! 

Heher: Palestine. 

" We spent a long time in the Yalley of 
the Wye, which seemed to us the most pic- 
turesque part of Rural England, admiring 
the ruins of Tintern Abbey, which seen from 
different points of view were extremely in- 
teresting. The ruins of this monastery is 
said to be the most beautiful in England, 
not only architecturally but in its surround- 
ings. Indeed, it seems to have been chosen 
by the Cistercian monks for the quiet and 
repose which reigned then, as now, in this 
happy valley. As we wound along the 
banks of the river in our open carriage, we 
seemed to be enclosed, amphitheatre-like, by 
the hills of living verdure; the way opening 
before us as we progressed. The day was 
perfect so that it seemed like traversing fairy- 
land. Had it been moonlight we should 




TiNTERN Abbey. 



PF Kevolutiojs^ary Times. 41 

have expected to have come upon a troop of 
elfin sprites at their midsummer gambols. 

But, how can I give an adequate descrip- 
tion of the ruins of Tintern? The walls of 
the church are almost entire. The double 
row of columns (extending from west to 
east) which supported the arches of the side 
aisles are well preserved, at least on the 
south side ; as are also the principal arches 
at the intersection of the nave and transcept, 
which support the remains of the central 
tower. You must imagine the walls covered 
with ivy, hanging in graceful festoons 
across arches and the tracery of mullioned 
windows ; a level floor, carpeted with closely 
shorn grass ; a vista of columns extending 
eastward to a chancel window of magnifi- 
cent proportions, filling the whole end of 
the choir; and over all, the blue vault of 
Heaven ; and then you will have something 
like an idea of Tintern Abbey. 

We crossed the Wye in a little boat, in 
in order to get a good view of the ruins 
seen from the hill on the other side of the 
river. Seen from this elevated point of 
view by pilgrims of other days, the church 



42 Recollections 

with its group of conventual buildings, its 
numerous gable towers and pinnacles, sur- 
rounded by these verdant hills with the 
river flowing gently by, must have been 
beautifully picturesque. Even in its decay 
it is an object of interest that the tourist 
would not willingly pass. 

'No other Abbey ruin in the kingdom 
has probably attracted half the attention 
that has been bestowed on Tintern: it is 
altogether the most picturesque remains of 
a monastic edifice with which we are ac- 
quainted. 

An hour's drive brought us to Monmouth, 
the termination of our day's journey and 
of the picturesque scenery of the Wye. 
The day could not have been finer, and we 
all agreed it was the pleasantest we had 
passed in England. 

At Monmouth we found, awaiting our 
arrival a most excellent dinner, to which we 
brought an equally excellent appetite. It 
was while discussing the good things thus 
set before us, that we entered with consid- 
erable warmth, into a discussion of a 
different nature. A little elevated with 



OF Eevolutionary Times. 43 

good cheer, I ventured to assert that the 
monks ' long syne ' were fond of creature 
comforts ; that they loved good eathig, and 
that they were by no means averse to the 
drinking of ^ jolly good ale, and old.' The 
parson, who saw the old monks from a poet- 
ical point of view as the builders of the 
stately pile of St. Mary's, the glory of the 
Wye, and of Monmouth, was not a little 
scandalized at my levity, and at once took 
up the cudgels in their defence. My appeal 
was to history, his to poetry; and like many 
other disputants, each of the combatants 
was maintaining but half a truth. The 
monks who built those stately piles like 
Tintern were doubtless pious, self-denying 
men ; but their successors in a later age, en- 
riched and enfeebled by self-indulgence, 
were of a different character. At least this 
much we infer from their pusillanimity in 
surrendering their lands to the spoiler in the 
time of Henry VIII. Had they, like the 
Carthusians of the London Chartreuse, 
courageously withstood their oppressor, 
their houses, like the Charter House in Lon- 
don, might have been spared ; and like it, re- 



44 



Recollections 



mainecl an ornament and a blessing to the 
land. This they might have done had the 
charges against them been false. 




or Revolutiojtaey Times. 45 



CHAPTEE VIII. 

" The fear o' hell's, a hangman's whip 
To hand the wretch in order;" 

Robert Burns. 

'' Before taking leave of Rural England 
perhaps I should give you some account of 
our adventure with a footpad or highway- 
man. Our postilion discovered that one of 
our horses needed a shoe. We left him 
therefore in a little village to have his horse 
shod, while we walked on to some ruins 
about a mile beyond the blacksmith shop. 
We had scarcely reached the ruins before 
we met with a footpad ^ proper and tall ' who 
presented a double barrel-pistol with ' your 
money or your life.' We were totally un- 
prepared so the Doctor handed over his 
watch and his purse whilst I gave the rob- 
ber a handful of change that I had in my 
pocket. But the Reverend Doctor gave him 
something worth more than all; he ventured 
to expostulate with him on the sin that he 



46 Kecollections 

was committing. The exhortation had an 
astonishing effect, for the highwayman was 
moved to tears. He declared he had heen 
brongiit np by a j)ious mother, who had 
taught him his catechism; and had he taken 
her good advice he would not have been a 
ruined man or have taken to the road. ' Re- 
pent then/ said the Doctor, 'let him that stole 
steal no more.' ' That is not so easily done 
as said; I will however give back what I 
have taken, for I will not rob the Church 
for that would be to add sacrilege to my 
other sins.' Just then we heard the wheels 
of the carriage coming in the distance. 
The footpad hastily gave back what he 
had taken and was running away when the 
Doctor called out 'come to the inn to-night; 
I will not betray you, but will help you to 
turn over a new leaf.' The footpad disap- 
peared and we drove on. That evening 
the man called and he and Dr. Smithson 
were closeted together for a long tim.e. I 
heard nothing about their conference till 
towards the close of the Revolutionary War, 
after the news of the battle of Saratoga had 
reached us; when the Doctor told me that 



OF Kevolutio:n^aky Times. 47 

the poor man had been among those who 
were killed; for soon after our adventure 
he had enlisted and had been sent with 
his regiment to America, where in conse- 
quence of good behaviour he soon rose to be 
a Sergeant. That uight he was closeted with 
the Doctor at the village inn. Pie confessed 
that his ruin was due to a disapi^ointment; 
that a girl, to Avhom he had been engaged, 
had jilted him and that he had taken to the 
tavern and the gaming house, where his 
patrimony had been wasted, for he was but 
a younger son and his elder brother had 
disowned him. ' So you see,' said cousin 
Jack, ^that you girls must be true and just 
in all your dealings, and remember that you 
can not trifle with a man without risking 
his ruin.' Then little Mary said ' but they 
say a girl can change her mind.' 'Certainly 
not ' said cousin Jack ' if she has made a 
solemn engagement with her j)arents' con- 
sent.' 



48 Recollections 



CHAPTER IX. 

" I here forget all former griefs, 

Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home agahi." 

ShahesijeavG. 

After a substantial supper cousin Jack 
continued : 

" Soon after our arrival in England my 
very good friend and patron died, leaving 
me a handsome bequest, and I returned 
to my native country as agent for a manu- 
facturing firm in Yorkshire ; consequently I 
passed for an Englishman in the city of 
!N^ew York, especially as I made the journey 
to England more than once recalled by my 
employers. I Avas very much shocked to 
find the town in such a state of dilapidation. 
However the location of Manhattan Island 
was so very favorable for commercial pur- 
poses that I did not hesitate to invest all 
my available funds in real estate, which 
would I imagined speedily advance in value." 
Here little Mary explained,"They say, cousin 



OF Revolutio:n^ary Times. 49 

Jack, that yon were not mistaken, and that 
these purchases have made you a rich man." 
" Yes indeed," said he, " the investment has 
turned out to be much more vakiable than 
the most sanguine coukl have expected." 

Here Httle Mary interrupted him. " Why 
is it that you allowed the people to take you 
for an Englishman?" " Because I thought 
it prudent ; for the old Tories had been to a 
great extent banished to [NTova Scotia, 
expelled by the laws of attainder. These 
cruel laws of attainder our countrymen 
were soon very heartily ashamed of, for ac- 
cording to the Constitution of the United 
States such laws have now been made im- 
possible. Indeed these laws had expelled 
from the country some of the best people 
who were conscientiously opposed to taking 
up arms against the King, for we were 
taught in the Church catechism that the 
first duty towards one's neighbor was to 
honor and to obey the King. ITowever these 
emigrants do not seem to have been imhappy 
in the new country to which they had been 
banished. I have seen letters from those 
expelled from their native land by these 



50 Kecollections 

laws of attainder, but they showed no ill will 
towards their fellow countrymen, who had 
banished them from their homes. Some of 
them who held commissions in the British 
army were surprised at the turn affairs had 
taken and to the last hoped for a peaceful 
solution of the troubles of the times, their 
military duty was discharged with reluc- 
tance, and had it not been for the interference 
of one of them this house would have been 
burnt. Your grandparents with their 
young children had betaken themselves to 
Clapboard Hill for safety when Gov. Tryon 
from ^ew York captured ]S'orwalk in 1779. 
A soldier was about to set fire to the house, 
when the Governor, happening to hear a 
bystander say that the owner of the house 
was a good friend to the King, called out 
to him to forebear. That bystander with 
her husband and children were among those 
banished to ISTova Scotia. Indeed I have 
but recently seen letters written by her to 
her kindred in Connecticut." Here little 
Mary who had been listening very attentively 
explained, " They say, cousin, you were a 
great beau in your youthful days, and that 



OF Revolutioxaky Times. 51 

you were once engaged to a beautiful and 
accomplished young lady." Here the old 
bachelor poked the fire, which by this time 
was burning low, observing the while to the 
children, " You should know the ' course of 
true love never does run smooth;' and, as 
you may have heard an exaggerated ac- 
count of the afliair, I might as well tell you 
the truth, especially as it may prove a warn- 
ing to you all. Well, then, in the first place 
you must not believe everything you hear, 
and not come to a hasty conclusion in mat- 
ters of importance; but patiently inquire 
and well weigh testimony; but as it waxes 
late I had better defer my story for another 
evening. From the appearance of the yule- 
log I think it may hold out for another 
night." 



Recollections 



CHAPTER X. 

"There let the pealing organ blow 

To the full voiced choir below, 

In service high and anthems clear, 

As may, with sweetness through mine ear, 

Dissolve me into ecstasies. 

And bring all heav'u before mine eyes." 

Milton. 

The children were assembled around the 
brightly burning yule-log when their cousin 
entered and continued his story. " I have 
been an extensive traveller in my time, for 
my reverend patron took me with him not 
only all over Great Britain but as I told you 
last night even to the Continent, where I 
discovered in the Rhineland some distant 
relation of ours, who in the seventeenth cen- 
tury had lived within sight of the lofty spire 
of Strasbourg Cathedral. 

After the death of my benefactor and the 
conclusion of the war I returned to my na- 
tive country, where I speedily found em- 
ployment as organist and musical director 



OF Eevolutionary Times. 53 

in a country church in "Westchester County; 
but as my widowed mother hved in Fair- 
field County not very far from Five Mile 
River, I remained with her at home, going 
over once or twice a week to the church, 
the Rector of which had remained at his 
post all through the war. The Rev. Dr. 
Holyoake and I were on the best of terms, 
and he often said that he wished me to 
make the musical service as attractive as 
possible, and as the most influential mem- 
bers had belonged to the Church before the 
Revolutionary War, they did not object to 
the musical usages authorized by the 
Church of England. Therefore, Chants, 
Anthems, and musical responses were not 
objectionable to them, besides there was 
dw^elling in an old house that had been 
Washington's Headquarters a gentleman, 
who not only sang, but was liberal in his 
support of the music of the Church. There 
was also among the Rector's parishioners, 
a good lady Avho had collected the poor 
girls of the neighborhood in a little school, 
in which I was employed as musical in- 
structor. These together with some gentle- 



54c Recollections 

men who had cultivated a taste for musicy 
made a respectable choir. Dr. H. informed 
me that the seminary had originated in a 
Saturday Sewing-school begun many years 
ago by the mother-in-law of its present 
patroness, who thought that the proximity 
of the village to a growing metropolis, made 
the education of girls a matter of great 
importance to the Church and community. 
'The founder of the Sewing-school,' said he, 
^has long since gone to receive the reward 
of those who diligently improve the talent 
entrusted to them and are faithful unto 
death.' Her name will ever be held in grate- 
ful remembrance by all who knew her. 
The widow and the orphan, the poor and 
the afflicted to whom it was her delight to 
minister will, as memory recalls to them her 
numberless acts of charity and mercy, ' rise 
up and call her blessed.' A few days be- 
fore her death, she said to her daughter-in- 
law, 'What will my poor children do when 
I am gone?' The reply was, 'I will en- 
deavor to supply your place to the best of 
my abihty.' It was soon turned into a day 
school and competent teachers employed. 



OF Revolutionary Times. 55 

A schoolhouse was built in proximity to 
the church, and the children in their bril- 
liant uniform might be seen on Sundays and 
other Holy Days, singing in procession as 
they entered the sanctuary and looking like 
so many ' Red Riding-hoods,' as some one 
of I^ew York City described them. How- 
ever, unlike the ' Red Riding-hoods,' they 
have been very well protected from the at- 
tacks of the ' Werwolves.' 

As I resided with my mother in the neigh- 
boring State of Connecticut, I was obliged 
to drive over on Saturday and Sunday, al- 
though it was more than a Sabbath day's 
journey; but a musical young lady, a neigh- 
bor of ours, drove over with me, attracted 
doubtless by our Church music, and, possi- 
bly, by the accounts I gave of the glory of 
' Old England,' which usually formed the 
topic of conversation; although we occa- 
sionally spoke of more personal matters for 
I discovered that we were both descendants 
of Captain John Mason of Pequot War cel- 
ebrity. For you should know, children, 
that our ancestor, Jakim Bouton, married a 
grand-daughter of the warlike Captain from 



56 Recollections 

whom we all are descended. By the way, a 
cousin of ours living in Westchester County 
had grown rich since the Revolutionary War 
in consequence of the great rise in real estate, 
and being a churchman, had rebuilt the old 
church in Whiteplains at his own expense. 
Therefore Dr. Holyoake and I were allowed 
to have our own way about all matters of 
ritual propriety, the Doctor frequently ob- 
serving that he saw no essential difference 
in the rubrics of the new American Prayer 
Book and the old Pi-ayer Book of the 
Church of England. We therefore by de- 
grees introduced the full Choral Service of 
the English Cathedrals, and as the Presi- 
dent of the United States represented the 
sovereignty of the people, we could see no 
reason for altering the Versicles; for dur- 
ing his term of office, our President is really 
as much King as any King of England. 
In spite, therefore, of the ' skinners ' the 
good Doctor continued to pray for the King 
in the Versicles singing out in a fine tenor, 
' O Lord save the King,' which, doubtless, 
was soothing to the feelings of certain old 
ladies in the congregation, who were un- 



OF Eevolutionary Times. 57 

willing to part with King George, although 
it was logically demonstrated to them by 
our Jacobitical parson, that King George 
Washington was as good as any King 
George of the House of Hanover. How- 
ever, as Dr. Holyoake was a very benevo- 
lent man and had been equally kind during 
the Ke volution both to ' cow-boys ' and ' skin- 
ners ' the most intelligent part of the con- 
gregation thought he was quite right. 

^N^ow that the war was over, and we be- 
gan to be on terms of intimacy with our old 
fellow-subjects of Great Britain, I do not 
see why all should not take a cool, dispas- 
sionate view of public affairs; for it is but 
reasonable to allow, that we Colonists had 
as good a right to rebel against admitted 
tyrannical acts of Parliament, as Parliament 
ever had against tyrannical acts of the 
Crown, which has often been done, especially 
in the Revolution of 1688; moreover, old 
England in parting, bestowed upon us the 
blessing of the Episcopate connecting us 
with the see of Canterbury and the Church 
of the Fathers. 

As this is the festival of St. John the 



58 E-ECOLLECTIOXS 

Divine, it naturally recalls to us that of St. 
John the Baptist's, which occurs at mid-sum- 
mer. These festivals symbolize the Light 
of the World, the one being the precursor 
of the other, even as the Baptist was the 
the forerunner of He who was born at this 
season the " Son of Righteousness." You 
should recollect this truth, children, which 
in our merriment is too apt to be forgotten. 
Our rector. Dr. Holyoake of Whiteplains 
often reminded us of this. 

By the way, he had been before the Revo- 
lutionary War a missionary of the S. P. G., 
and a Tory in politics. He stuck fliithfully 
to his post, and always endeavored to miti- 
gate the fury of the combatants, and was 
especially successful in restraining the ex- 
cesses of the ' cow-boys.' Major Waring, a 
distant relative of ours, was one of his 
Church-wardens and made himself very 
useful in the same benevolent cause after 
the war, by rebuilding^the church burnt in 
the contest. The Major was not in sympathy 
with the Tories, although a good churchman. 
He had a handsome house with grounds 
about it. The building was partly of stone 



OF Revolutioxaiiy Times. 59 

like this; a long low building about two sto- 
ries in height Avith projecting Avings, the 
space between which was filled with a broad 
piazza enclosed with sashes and shutters in 
the winter. I have been thus particular in 
describing the place, as the Major not only 
at Christmas-time invited the school children 
to his house but on mid-summer or St. John's 
Eve, when strawberries and whipped cream 
were served at the tables on the lawn under 
the old trees opposite the flower garden; or if 
the weather was bad, the tables were set on 
the broad piazza, which with the adjoining 
hall Avas amply sufficient for their accommo- 
dation. 

Here also at Christmas Avere served the 
roast beef and plum pudding of old Eng- 
land; for my benevolent kinsman did not 
think there Avas any patriotic reason for 
quarreling Avith these good things, Avhich 
Avith mince pie Avere a pai-t of our com- 
mon heritage. The custom of hanging 
up the stocking Avas also here religiously 
observed. The Dutch San Clans, the patron 
saint of the children, was likcAvise held in 
high reverence, but the superstition referred 



60 Kecollectioxs 

to in Shakespeare's Mid-summer ^Night's 
Dream seems never to have taken any hold 
on popular imagination. Young men and 
maidens did not find any difficulty in becom- 
ing acquainted with each other, without 
resorting to mid-summer magic of the old 
world, at least, until they were instructed. 
But the girls soon learned to sow hemp-seed. 

' Hemp-seed I sow, hemp-seed I hoe, and 
he that is my true love, come after me and 
mow.' 

Some of the girls had a similar exj^eri- 
ence to that of the famous Mrs. Blossom, 
who said ' I sowed hemp-seed in our back 
yard and would you believe it, I looked 
back and saw Mr. Blossom as plain as eyes 
could see him.' 



OF IIevolutio:naiiy Times. 61 



CHAPTEE XI. 

"Thanks to my stars, I have not ranged about 
The wilds of life ere I could find a friend." 

Addison. 

"Miss Mollie Mason and I sometimes 
joined the clam-bakes, which in old times, 
as well as now, were held on Rohaton Point 
where in ancient times, as tradition tells ns, 
there was a favorite ground for Indian pow- 
pows, later for ' Witches ' Sabbath.' 

Strange stories were told of this road 
for it was known as Witches' Lane, and 
there were few young people in those 
days that would venture in it after night- 
fall. At Miss Mollie's suggestion we 
paused one day at the cabin of an old negro, 
( the only house on the lane, ) who had the 
reputation of being the historian of the 
Country, to inquire into its weird history ; 
for such we inferred it was, as in the days 
of Salem Witchcraft, Rohaton Point had 
the reputation of being a diabolical camp- 



62 Recollectioxg 

ing ground where many a ' Witches' Sab- 
bath 'was held. At Miss Mason's sugges- 
tion, Old Toney, as the negro was called, 
was questioned. 

He was seated in front of his cabin, bask- 
ing in the sunshine, which he seemed greatly 
to enjoy. He was very black, with a head 
of white hair, and people said he was a hun- 
dred years old. ' I have lived here,' said 
he, ^ever since the days of good Queen Anne ; 
and your Grandfather, Jakim, gave me this 
cabin and my freedom.' But I will give 
you old Toney's story. 

' You see, Massa Jack, this Guinea nig- 
ger had been one day waiting at a clam- 
bake and he was asleep under that old tree 
you see yonder ( pointing to a venerable 
chestnut-tree) . This here nigger had been 
making punch for the young folks, who 
were very merry, and when he awoke he 
did hear a ramping and a roaring; and com- 
ing down the lane was a monstrous he-goat, 
and on his long back were riding astride 
more witches than this here nigger could 
count, all of them shouting as the goat 
galloped along, until they jumped into the 



OF Revolutiokary Times. 63 

Sound. The wind was blowing and the 
Sound was rough. When I tokl what I 
had seen to Massa, he laughed, and said I 
had been drunk or dreaming. But homso- 
ever other folks said this nigger had seen 
the debbil, who had taken the shape of a 
goat and was giving the witches a ride. 

But the witches were not drowned for 
they were afterwards seen. This nigger 
has often seen them in the clouds after a 
thunderstorm, riding on broomsticks, for you 
know water won't drown witches. Any- 
how, this road has ever since been known 
as,^ Witches' Lane.' ^And the debbil has been 
seen here by white gemmen too, as well as 
by this here nigger.' ^ How is that?' said 
I, beginning to be interested in the account 
of the neighborhood. ' Well you see, Massa 
Jack, once in old times, there was a great 
Captain Kidd, who was a pirate, and people 
do say that before he was hung in London 
he did bury many chests of gold and silver 
some where in Connecticut. 

Now one day there came from New York, 
money-diggers, and at midnight when every- 
thing was still and quiet, they did dig for the 



64 E-ECOLLECTIONS 

gold and silver on the spot where. a learned 
doctor, they did bring with them, told them 
that he had a wonderful divining rod, which 
always pointed to the place where the money 
was hid. They dug and struck something, 
when one of them swore and cried out 
" we've got it," when suddenly they heard a 
fiddling and a ramping and roaring which 
made them drop their tools and take to 
their heels. As the money-diggers were 
scrambling along one of them looked be- 
hind and saw the Evil One mounted on a 
bull, which as they passed the burying 
ground suddenly vanished with a flash and 
an explosion that shook the ground. ' 
' But, uncle Toney, what became of the trea- 
sure?' ' The next morning the money-dig- 
gers came to look for it, but they could 
find nothing besides pick and shovels, ex- 
cept an empty hogshead in the bushes or 
close by the hole they had been digging, 
for the debbil and his imps had carried off" 
all the gold and silver ; not one farthing had 
they left in the hogshead. A cracked fid- 
dle they did find, which you can see in the 
garret of the old farm house. Some do say 



OF Revolutioxary Times. 65 

that the spirit that watched over the trea- 
sure must have been on the farmer's bull, 
which had gotten loose from the stable 
hard by.' ' But, old Toney ' said I ' what do 
you think?' ' O Massa Jack, it was the 
horned debbil hisself. We could see the 
prints of the hoofs as he galloped through 
the lane.' Our old bull was very Avild, but I 
never heard that he breathed fire and smoke; 
however, he did not disappear with the gob- 
lin in a flash of fire, for he was found after- 
wards more than a mile away from his 
pasture. 

' What became of the empty hogshead?' 
'I had it broken for fire wood' said old Toney, 
' and it did smell of brimstone, showing that 
the debbil had been in it.' As we drove 
along I said to Miss Mason, ' what would you 
say if I were to tell you that I was in that 
hogshead and that fiddle was mine?' 'I 
have always heard that Satan was power- 
ful in these parts, but I never heard that 
you were one of his imps, but I must be on 
my guard and beware.' ' You see,' said I 
'we boys of the neighborhood had heard of 
the advent of the money-diggers and we 



66 



Eecollections 



determined to play a trick on them, and I 
being not only the youngest but the small- 
est was packed into the hogshead with the 
fiddle and the conch-shell. All the rest of 
old Toney's story is but an exaggeration ; a 
fiction founded on fact.' 




OF Eevolutionary Times. 67 



CHAPTER XII. 

" His calm and blameless life 
Does with substantial blessedness abound, 
And the soft wings of peace cover him round." 

Cowley. 

" Miss Mollie Mason lived with her maiden 
aunt in a square frame house very much in 
the style of the old fashioned house of Queen 
Anne's time; that is to say a two-story build- 
ing with the chimney in the middle. 

There was a square room each side of the 
entrance hall ; one of which was used for a 
dining room, the other for a parlor in which 
stood Miss Mollie's piano and a sofa. This 
apartment Miss Mollie and I were allowed 
to have entirely to ourselves. It was on 
our retui-n from the drive just mentioned, 
that I managed to get possession of a valu- 
able I'ing, which she usually took off when 
playing the piano. I had often tried to get 
it from her, but it was not until I told her 
of my adventure with the money-diggers 



68 Eecollectioxs 

and how it was that I was mounted on the 
bull, who, histead of disappearing in a flash 
of fire, had deposited me in a mud puddle; 
whilst the infuriated beast, alarmed by the 
discharge of a musket, which one of our 
roistering party had fired, sheered off 
through an open gate, and disappeared in- 
stantly from the view of the frightened 
money-diggers. 

Moved by compassion at the sad pickle 
I must have been in. Miss Mollie yielded to 
my entreaties and promised me the ring, 
especially as I had gallantly promised one 
in return, which was to be a ring on which 
was to be the arms of the Boughton's of 
Burgandy ' gules a la fasce cVor, ' for Miss 
Mollie said she would like to have something 
that would remind her of the gallant knight 
who boldly charged the money-diggers, on 
the back of a wild bull. 

As the jeweller took some time to exe- 
cute my order, the ring was not presented 
until the eve of ^cw Year's day. It was 
not enameled, rubies being used. We were 
seated on the sofa I mentioned when I placed 
the ring on her finger, making a little speech 



OF Revolutionaiiy Times. 69 

on the occasion, humbly declaring that were 
I worthy of so fair a hand ( the smallest I 
had ever seen ) I should have offered my- 
self, and all my worldly goods, into the bar- 
gain, for her acceptance. The young lady 
declared, I was underating myself, at which 
I put my arm around her waist and said — 
' Would you, MoUie?' to which she modestly 
replied: ^I fear my aunt would object.' 
'But if she did not, what then? The response 
was, as might have been expected under 
the circumstances, one little word of only 
three letters and that was, ' Yes.' 

Her maiden aunt and all her near rela- 
tions apjDroved of the match ; nevertheless, 
it was broken off, and the ring was returned 
to the donor. Here little Mary observed, 
'What became of the ring?' 'Why,' said 
uncle Jack ' I very foolishly threw it away, 
thinking it must be bewitched'. The promise 
having been made in Witches' Lane, it might 
be found if anyone was to fish for it off 
Kohaton Point. However, as for the ring 
she gave me I have never had a proper op- 
portunity of returning it. It was an opal, to 
be sure, and is considered, I believe, an un- 



70 Recollections 

lucky stone but it has proved to be a sort 
of talisman.' 

Here little Mary interrupted, ' and what 
became of the young lady?' O, she ran 
away with a dancing master who had been 
a count in his own country before the French 
Revolution, preferring a lively young man 
to an old bachelor. This hasty stejo, as the 
elopement might be called would perhaps, 
have never taken place had not her next 
door neighbor, Deacon Doolittle ( who 
loved to have a finger in every pie ) sug- 
gested the idea that a family of Cyclops 
would be the result of the union with your 
uncle Jack. However the match turned 
out much better than could be expected, for 
the First Consul recalled the ancient nobil- 
ity of France, and I have since had the 
pleasure of visiting the Count and Countess 
in their stately Chateau in ISTormandy. 

The Deacon had been perhaps very much 
scandalized at our Choral services in the 
neighboring village of White Plains, which 
was considered worse than witch-craft itself. 
However, but for this interference I should 
not have been able to contribute to the 



OF Kevolutioxaky Times. 71 

Church choir, and I trust that some one will 
be raised up to be a comfort and a consola- 
tion and to be even unto me as a daughter. 
But the Deacon's reasoning seems to have 
been that of the Jesuits — that is that the end 
justifies the means — and not the Gospel rule, 
to do unto others as we should be done by. 
And now, as the yule-log is nearly burnt, 
we will, therefore, save the brand for next 
year's burning. 

"Kiudle the Christmas brand, and then, 

Till sunset let it burne, 
Which quenched, then lay it up agen, 

Till Christmas next returne." 
" Part must be kept, wherewith to teend 

The Christmas log next yeare; 
And where it is safely kept, the fiend 

Can do no mischief there." 

I quote these words of old Herrick, for I 
must be off to-morrow to my new home, 
Troy, N. Y., at the head of navigation on 
the Hudson, w^here we keep Christmas 
according to Dutch tradition; wdien assem- 
bling around the Christmas tree, under the 
patronage of the good St. Nicholas, the 
protecting genius of their ancestors," 



72 Recollections 

A EEUNIOI^. . 

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren 
to dwell together in unity. — Psalm cxxxiii: 1. 



It happened that at the Church revival conse- 
quent on the appearance of the celebrated Oxford 
Tracts it occurred to English Churchmen that their 
forefathers had been illiberal m forbidding native 
American clergymen Episcopally ordained to offici- 
ate in their churches. They therefore persuaded 
Parliament to modify the prohibitory law so that 
Episcopally ordained clergymen might preach in 
English pulpits. On the passage of the act an 
American Prelate of distinction, the Rt. Kev. G. 
Washington Doane, Bishop of New Jersey, Avas im- 
mediately invited to deliver the sermon at the 
consecration of the new parish church of Leeds, of 
which the Rev. Dr. Hook Avas the Vicar. As this 
church was remarkable for its extent and archi- 
tectural grandeur it was hoped that it would prove 
to be a memorable event in the history of the An- 
glican communion. 

As the Editor and his brother were particular 
friends of the Bishop chosen for this purpose, they 
were invited to be of the party. The church was 
consecrated on September 2nd, 1841, and the sermon 
was preached to the great satisfaction of a congre- 
gation of four thousand people. The sermon being 
on the text "And the Lord blessed the house of Obed- 




Leeds Churoh. 



or Revolutionary Times. 73 

edom and all that he had." (I Chron. xiii: 14.) Four 
hundred of the English clergy were in the procession, 
(including the Archbishop of York), and at the con- 
clusion of the solemn service a peal of twelve bells 
rang out, filling the air with a joyful clamor, seem- 
ing to say as at Christmas, " Peace on earth, good 
will towards men ;" and as if the peal was proclaim- 
ing the reunion of the two great branches of the 
Anglo-Saxon race after a century of misunderstand- 
ing, doubts, and difficulties ; declaring that Revolu- 
tionary strife was at an end. The Rev. Vicar, the 
late Dr. Hook, was kind enough to invite the editor 
to a rehearsal of the Choral Service which for the 
first time was to be performed in an English ^^ar- 
ish church. 

It had been his life dream that he might some 
day or other hear the English Cathedral service. 
As he listened to the choir of the Parish Church of 
Leeds, drilled by a choir master from St. George's, 
Windsor, the thought occurred to him, if this could 
be so well done in an English parish church, why 
not in an American church, and if we had no Cathe- 
drals why would not this be the way to produce 
them? For as the architectural grandeur of the Ca- 
thedrals, by a species of enchantment, seem to pro- 
duce the Choral Service, for without it the very 
stones Avould cry out against the worshippers, so 
might the Choral Service in time produce Cathedrals. 

In the following year the experiment was tried 
in St. Paul's Church, Troy, N. Y., and curious 
enough, a tenor singer from St. George's Church, 



74 Recollections 

Windsor, assisted at the first choral service at the 
Sunday School celebration on Easter day of that 
year, and from that day forward, the choral ser- 
vice progressed until it is to be found all over the 
United States, and the Cathedrals are coming, as 
all must allow who have studied the glorious plan 
of All Saints' Cathedral, Albany. May this ad- 
vance in ritual splendor be something more than a 
marching and counter-marching, copes, and candle- 
sticks — for it is " righteousness that exalteth the 
nation." 

A solemn ritual undoubtedly has its pious usages, 
but we must not substitute the means for the ends. 
St. Paul applies the true principle when he writes 
in his Epistle to the Corinthians: " I will pray 
with the spirit, and I will pray with the under- 
standing also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will 
sing with the understanding also." 

However, although the Choral Service has become 
almost National, it was a long time before much 
progress was made. At first there were many 
admirers, especially those who had made Cathedral 
tours in the " old Country ; " but they were afraid of 
anything like innovation, some declaring that it 
would be contrary to the rubrics of the American 
Prayer Book. 

The ecclesiastical authority of the diocese of New 
York, and the controversary in the Church Journal 
soon settled this question. It was perfectly obvious 
that there was no intention either in the canons^ 
rubrics, or Book of Common Prayer to discontinue 



OF Reyolutioxary Times. 75 

the Choral Service, the Choral Service being in fact 
part of the common law of the Church Catholic. 

The late Dr Croswell, Rector of the Church of the 
Advent, Boston, having heard the service when on 
a visit to Troy, determined to adopt it ; and from 
Boston the usage extended to the City of New 
York, where a society of clergymen and laymen 
was formed under the musical direction of the late 
Dr Hodges, organist of Trinity Church, for its pro- 
motion ; from which City ifc has extended all over 
the United States. What added considerably to 
the movement was the substitution of male for 
mixed choirs. 

However, the Choral Service was not introduced 
into Trinity Church until after Dr Hodges had 
returned to England, although he had prepared the 
way for it. Dr Cutler, from the Church of the Ad- 
vent, Boston, succeeding the learned Doctor who for 
many years had directed the music of Trinity 
Chui-ch Parish. 

Edward Hodges, Mus. Doc, took his degree in 
1825 at the English University of Cambridge, and 
came to this country in 1838 ; he was for twenty- 
five years organist of Trinity Parish, New York, 
and it is universally conceded that he is the father 
of ecclesiastial music in the United States. 

Editor. 



AN EASTER EGG 



(77) 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIOlSrS. 







PAGE. 


^ 1. 


The Hall * . . . . 


Frontispiece 


• 2. 


Dancing School 


88 


« 3. 


The Refusal .... 


92 


4. 


A Conference .... 


93 


« 5. 


Burying the Treasure . 


99 


6. 


Haunted Cellar 


101 


• T. 


Wedding Party 


107 


^ 8. 


Old Chimney; a landmark . 
* See page 108. 


. 113 



(79) 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

Introduction . . . . . . .83 

Chapter I. Society in Revolutionary Times . 85 

Chapter II. Love-making by Moonlight . . 90 

Chapter III. A Dubious State of Affairs . . 93 

Chapter IV. Hidden Treasure . . . .99 

Chapter Y. An Extraordinary Proposition . 102 

Chapter YI. Change of Times . . . .106 

Chapter YII. Conclusion . . . .110 

Appendix .113 



(81) 



INTEODUCTIOJS". 



It was some years after the gathering 
round the Yule-log in Connecticut, that 
cousin Jack found himself seated beside 
his fair cousin Mary in a one-horse chaise 
on the road from Troy to Albany, where 
Miss Mary was returning to boarding- 
school, when the young lady often referred 
to the Christmas merry making in the old 
farm-house. Miss Mary was willing to 
hear something more from her cousin, the 
story teller, especially as the road (a century 
ago) was dull and uninteresting; the fol- 
lowing tale was told, and as it concerns 
Revolutionary times it is subjoined. 



(83) 



AN EASTER EGG. 



CHAPTER I. 

" The war's whole art each private soldier knows, 
And with a gen'ral's love of conquest glows." 

Addison. 

Among the Boutonville papers was the 
following tale of Kevolutionary Times. 

At the breaking out of the Avar 1775 an 
expedition was undertaken, under the com- 
mand of General Montgomery, against Que- 
bec. Among the volunteers on that ill- 
starred attempt was Major Waring of 
Westchester Co., 'New York. On his return 
from Canada the Major heard of the sale of 
an estate in Westchester Co. the price of 
which tempted him to invest all that he 
had. The gentleman from whom the land 
was purchased had determined to sell out 
his interest in American soil and return to 
England; for, as he declared, he did not wish 

(85) 



86 Recollections 

to be ill the midst of a border war, as " cow- 
boys and skinners" had begun to harass 
the country not sparing the property of 
either friend or foe. 

In more settled times Major Waring 
would, doubtless, have had a thorough 
search of title, but as he knew the land had 
been in jDossession of Mr. Heathcote, he 
thought the title must be unquestionably 
good ; however, the Major was mistaken as 
will presently appear. 

After the war, however, the land rose 
rapidly in value. Major Waring made 
great improvements, improving roads, sell- 
ing and leasing lots with guarantee title, 
and mortgaging the land in order to raise 
money for building purposes. A zealous 
churchman, he built a church and school- 
house at his own expense, besides being 
one of the supporters of the church and 
school. 

In the midst of this prosperity there came 
an unexpected blow. Some persons living 
in ^ew York, claiming to be the heirs-at- 
law of the original proprietor, called atten- 
tion to the fact that the land had been en- 



OF Revolutionary Times. 87 

tailed and thatMajor Waring had purchased 
it of a gentleman, who had only a life es- 
tate; consequently the great estate with all 
its improvements, church and school in- 
cluded, belonged to the heirs of the original 
propi-ietor. 

'Now, it happened that that marplot, Dea- 
con Doolittle, had occasion to go to New 
York to make search among old records 
(for the Deacon was an attorney-at-law) and 
there he stumbled on the fact that the es- 
tate had been entailed. The Deacon was 
lawyer enough to know that under our law 
an entail could not be broken excejDt with 
the consent of the eldest son of the j^ro- 
prietor. By diligent search he could dis- 
cover no title-deed by which the entail had 
been broken. Finding the heirs of the 
original proprietor living in New York he 
made a bargain with them for a large com- 
mission, in case he could recover the estate 
securing for himself the lion's share. 

Jonathan Doolittle in spite of his nominal 
ecclesiastical character was rather worldly- 
minded; moreover, his son, a gawky young 
man, had been rejected by Miss Fannie, the 



88 Hecollectioi^s 

Major's only child, a great country belle, 
for besides being an accomplished heiress, 
her mother was a Livingston and she the 
granddaughter of a signer of the Declara- 
tion of Independence. Naturally, there- 
fore, the young lady was inclined to look 
down on country beaux, whose education 
scarcely extended beyond the three " E-'s " 
and but few of whom had been taught man- 
ners by the French dancing-master, who 
came from 'New York in the winter time to 
instruct the country people; and he was, 
doubtless, not a little influenced by the ill 
success of his son with the heiress, of which 
he had good reason to suspect. 

Among the young men attending the vil- 
lage dancing school was young Doolittle. 
jN^o amount of instruction could overcome 
his natural awkwardness. The dancing- 
master sometimes lost his temper in his 
vain endeaver to teach him the steps. On 
a certain occasion after the young man had 
made several false starts a little behind 
time he shouted " ]!^ow six weeks after I say 
^ ready,' begin." 

The youth seemed, however, to be for- 



OF Revolutionaky Times. 89 

ward enough in his attendance to Miss 
Fannie Waring, the belle of the ball-room, 
who, truth to tell, was inclined to amuse 
herself a little at his expense, for with others 
she doubted the disinterested character of 
his advances. 

By the waj some allowance should be 
made for the hasty temper of the French 
dancing-master, for he was one of that 
French noblesse expelled from his native 
country by the French Revolution; and, 
like many other fellow countrymen, he was 
obliged to resort to some means of gaining 
a livelihood, and as he had been one of the 
gay courtiers about Versailles, his taste 
for fiddling and dancing now served for 
his support, although the stupidity of coun- 
try bumpkins was very trying to one of a 
haughty temperament. 



•^0 Recollections 



CHAPTER II. 

" All the swains that there abide, 
With jigs and rural dance resort." 

Milton. 

The village had in it, among other things, 
a commodious ball-room; and it was at a 
soiree, or Public, that there was a disj3ute 
between Doolittle and Mr. Joe Mason as to 
which of the young men should escort Miss 
Fannie to her home, in the outskirts of the 
village. Young Mason politely surren- 
dered his claim to Doolittle not wishing the 
young lady to be annoyed by their dispute. 

It was moonlight when Mr Doolittle was 
escorting the young lady home to her resi- 
dence in the outskirts of the village when 
he ventured on a rather delicate subject. 

"Inmy father's office," said he, "I chanced 
to learn, this morning, that the old man had 
made an important discovery Avhich may 
greatly aifect your father's estate in this 
town." "Please speak to my father about 



OF Revolutionaky Times. 91 

it, as I am but a girl, and don't understand 
such matters." " But, my dear Miss Fannie, 
it concei-ns you more than one else." " I 
don't see how that can be," said Miss Fannie. 
" My father," said the young man, " would 
be offended with me if I were to hint the 
matter to any one unless — unless — " " Un- 
less what? " said Miss Fannie. " Unless — 
he thought I was like to become a near 
relative, in which case it would greatly alter 
matters; and as it would be all in the fam- 
ily, he would discreetly suppress all informa- 
tion.'' 

Miss Fannie, said: ^^ Sir, you are very 
much mistaken if you think my father 
Avould consent to any such arrangement. 
The hand of his daughter may not be 
worth much, but it is certainly not for sale; 
and I beg 3^ou will not speak to me any 
more on the subject, for if he were to listen 
to any such arrangement, I assuredly would 
not." "Perhaps if you knew how much 
it concerned you all, it might make some 
difference," said Jerry. " ]S'o, indeed, noth- 
ing could make me change my mind; and, as 
we are now home, I will wish you good 



92 



Recol lections 



evening." The young man retired not a 
little mortified at his want of success; for 
evidently the young lady was much better 
pleased with his rival, whose graceful man- 
ners were much more acceptable to the 
belle of the ball-room. 




OF Revolutionary Times. 93 



CHAPTER TIL 

" To every doubt your answer is the same, 
It so fell out, and so l)y chance it came." 

/Sir Ji. Blackmore. 

" One Sunday, after church," said cousin 
Jack, " I was called into the study of Dr. 
Holyoake, where the Rev. Divine was sol- 
acing himself with a pipe. Taking the 
fair long pipe out of his mouth, he said ' I 
fear, young man, that our patron and church 
warden is about to be ruined by a suit of 
ejectment recently begun. 

' It seems that Deacon Doohttle, who is 
among other things an attorney-at-law, has 
made a discovery that the land on which 
this village with church and school -house, 
also the mansion of Major Waring, was en- 
tailed by the original proprietor. 

' Major Waring, when he bought the land 
at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, 
had no idea of this ancient settlement. He 
knew that the land had been possessed by 



94 Hecollections 

the grandfather of Mr. Heathcote, of whom 
he had jDurchased the land, which satisfied 
him, inexperienced in such matters, that the 
title was good. 

The Major greatly improved the property, 
sold and leased lots, giving warrantee-deeds, 
and if he can not prove that the entail is 
broken, he and his family will be ruined, the 
chvu'ch, school-house, and parsonage put np 
and sold to the highest bidder, unless, in- 
deed, a high and ruinous price is paid for 
quit-claims. The building of our new and 
enlarged chancel with its organ-chamber 
and new and powerful instrument, plans of 
which the Major has procured, would be 
indefinitely suspended. 

' The Major had made diligent search 
everywhere, and though much alarmed at 
the state of the case, which as you may be- 
lieve, looks very dark. He and Miss Fan- 
nie are making the usual preparations for 
the Whitsun-tide festivities, which you 
know is to include a fancy dress-party and 
a whitsun morris dance, although I have 
begged them to omit the entertainment, but 
the Major will not have the young people 



OF Revolutionary Toies. 95 

disappointed, for they have been looking 
forward to this festival since Christmas.'" 

" Tell me," said cousin Jack, " if I can be 
of any service to you." " You can," said 
the Doctor; "it has just occurred to me 
that you must pass the house of farmer 
Mason on your return home, and if you 
would call he might possibly be able to 
throw some light on the subject, for the old 
gentleman is well acquainted with the his- 
tory of Colony times. His wife was a 
sister of the late proprietor, who, by the 
way, it is claimed had only a life estate." 
" Indeed," said cousin Jack, " I have fre- 
quently called there with Miss Mason, who 
is a niece of his, and I recollect hearing him 
say that he had a good many papers, throw- 
ing light on Revolutionary times.'' 

" I immediately persuaded Miss Mollie to 
acquiesce in this suggestion of the Doctor's. 

Our road home lay along the Sound for 
some miles and we had to pass the fai*m- 
house occuj^ied by Miss Mollie's uncle, who, 
I recollect, once offered to show me some 
old manuscripts, which were curious and 
which might throw some light on old Colony 
times. 



96 Recollections 

A straight road or avenue branched off 
from the highway and terminated in a sort 
of square courtyard on which the farmhouse 
fronted. 

The old house was one of those gabled 
mansions Avitli red-tiled roof, whose fronts 
were built of brick brought from Holland. 
On one side of this courtyard was an apple 
orchard, on the other a garden in which 
flowers and vegetables were growing side 
by side. On the fourth side a pasture sloped 
to the shore of the Sound, on which vessels 
were constantly passing to and fi'om the 
city. You entered a hall, the ceiling of 
which was crossed by ponderous beams 
which had evidently never been painted. 
"When I reminded Mr Mason of his promise, 
he called out to his son Joe, and, giving him 
the key of the chest, suggested that he 
should show me the old papers. Joe and I 
went up stairs leaving Miss Mollie with her 
uncle. 

We searched in vain for any document 
that would throw light on the matter. Joe, 
however, when he understood what was 
wanted, said that he had heard when a child 



OF Eevolutionary Times. 97 

from an old negro, who had formerly be- 
longed to the late proprietor, that there was 
a secret abont the old house, which he was 
sworn to keep until Joe came of age; for 
Mr. Heathcote's sister was his mother. The 
negro is still living in a cabin in Witches' 
Lane, for he was sold to a neighbor in Con- 
necticut, when Mr. Heathcote parted with 
his real and personal property in this coun- 
try. ' I imagine,' said Joe, ' that Ave might 
get some information from the old negro, 
that might be of service, as I am now 
of age ; and, if you will go with me to-mor- 
row, we will question the old man.' 

As I drove Miss Mason home, we had a 
good deal to say about Joe's interest in the 
subject. ^My cousin,' said Miss Mollie, 'is 
evidently very sweet on Miss Fannie, al- 
though worshipping at a respectful distance. 
He and young Doolittle had a little spat 
about her last winter, which of them should 
escort Miss Fannie home after the "public." 
Miss Fannie was evidently annoyed at the 
dispute, which Joe perceiving, he instantly 
relinquished the honour and privilege. I 
imagine, however, that Doolittle did not 
have a very pleasant time of it.' 



98 Recollections 

" But" said cousin Jack, ''you don't think 
Miss Fannie will condescend to a country 
boy." " Cousin Joe is a good looking fel- 
low," said Miss Mollie, " and if he could 
make himself useful to the family, much 
might be done for him; and the Major, you 
know, has influence especially in the now 
rising city of New York." 



OF Revolutionary Times. 99 



CHAPTER IV. 

" When we behold an augel, not to fear, 
Is to be imprudent." 

Dryden. 

" The next day " said cousin Jack, " Joe 
Mason and myself questioned the old negro 
about his recollections of the old homestead; 
but it was first necessary to convince Tony 
of the fact that Mr. Mason was of full age, 
before he would fully talk on the subject. 
At length, being satisfied, he declared his 
willingness to explain the mystery. 

' For you see, marster Joe, de myst'ry is 
all in de cellar of de old house; for de boss, 
when he sold de estate, meanin' to go back 
to de old country, gave me with de house 
to his sister, who had married marster Ma- 
son, 'cause he didn't like de fightin' goin' 
on all 'round de night. 'Fore he left when 
all were asleep in the house, he called dis 
here nigger an' says " ol' Tony, help me with 
dis plate-chest into de cellar.' I took hoi ' 



100 Recollections 

of de chest bound with iron and helped 
marster carry it down-stars. Here in de 
middle of de cellar was a dungeon, covered 
with a trap-door, where we used to keep 
taters 'fore de new cellar was built. We 
put de box in de dungeon, putting bricks 
under it to keep it from de damp groun', and 
arter taking off de trap-door, w^e covered it 
over with bricks so no one would neber 
think thar had been a dungeon thar; and 
then says Marster ^' I'm gwine to Barbadoes 
'fore I go to the ol' country, an' if I don't 
come back no more you tell no one 'till 
baby Joe comes of age as he was afraid of 
de " cowboys" and " skinners " would find 
de plate chest.' 

'When aunt Bessie, de ol' cook, asked 
what had become of de trap-door, which I 
had chopped into kindlin' wood, I told her 
the horned debbil must have flown away 
with it; for you know, marster Jack, Satan 
has always been very powerful in dese parts 
ebber since de witches troubled de Ian '. 
'Fore I was sold to your grandfather, massa 
Jack, I did see de ol' debbil in dat same 
cellar.' " How is that ' said Joe Mason, 



or Revolutioxaky Times. 101 

^ I never heard that the house was haunted." 
' Why, ' said old Tony, ' it was two or 
three years after de oP marster Heathcote 
had gone to Barbadoes, where he died of de 
fever, marster Mason sent me to get a pitcher 
of cider and I did see de ghost of marster, 
or de debbil in his shape, a straddle of de 
cider barr'l, who cried out " say nothing of 
de plate chest except to little Joe when he 
be grown up." 

" I hollered, for I was awfu' scart, and 
when dey come down to see what was de 
matter dey found nobody but dis nigger, de 
candle, and de pitcher all in a heap on the 
floor. Massa Mason said I was crazy and 
dat he would sell dis nigger the first chance 
he got.'" 



102 Eecollection^s 



CHAPTER Y. 

"Nay, you shall see mine orchard; where, in an arbor, 

we will eat a last years' pipen of my own graffing, with a 

dish of carraways, and so forth ;" 

Shakespeare. 

Deacon Doolittle called on Major Waring, 
when the following conversation took place. 
Deacon. " I understand. Major AVaring, 
that you have just been re-elected church 
warden." Major. " The church people of 
Whiteplains have been good enough to 
continue their confidence in their old ves- 
tryman." Deacon. " Are they aware that 
the title to their church property is ques- 
tionable." Major. " Indeed, they have 
heard that the claim has been set up, which 
I hope will prove unfounded." Deacon. 
" I imagine. Major, that if you and I could 
agree on terms, all further proceedings might 
be checked, for I have all the evidence in 
my hands." Major. " I don't understand 
what you mean." Deacon. "To speak 
plainly, my boy has taken a fancy to your 



OF Eevolutionary Times. 103 

girl, and could they make a match it would 
become a family matter, and the heirs-at-law 
of Heathcote would find it very difficult to 
get along in their suit of ejectment without 
my co-023eration. A very moderate sum of 
money would buy off any claim that they 
might think they have.'' Major. " I must 
say I don't like your proposition; if they 
have any right, you ought not to suppress 
any evidence. Anyhow, my daughter's 
hand could not be the subject of barter. If 
we are to be dispossed it must be by fair 
means and according to the law of the land, 
and if I am to seek a new home I am sure 
my daughter will go with me. I wish, 
therefore, you would excuse me, for we have 
to make arrangements for our usual Easter 
entertainment." Deacon. " Then if we 
can not come to any arrangement I will 
wish you good morning." 

Soon after the departure of Deacon Doo- 
little, Mr. Joe Mason was announced, who 
was received by Miss Fannie, when the fol- 
lowing conversation took place. Mr. Mason. 
"I have come thus early because I wish to 
present you with a document, by way of an 



104 Recollections 

Easter-egg, which my father desh^ed me to 
present, and which he thought would be of 
interest to you and your father. It was 
discovered among some old papers, and the 
old gentleman desired that I would make 
haste and bring it to you. It was found, I 
I should say, in an old chest that had been 
secreted in the cellar in Revolutionary times 
that it might be hid from ' cowboys ' and 
' skinners ' who had repeatedly raided the 
old house in search of booty." 

Just then the Major coming into the^Dar- 
lour,Miss Fannie handed him the document, 
which the Major hastily examined with much 
emotion and said, " My dear young friend, 
you have found what was lost — an impor- 
tant document; for it is the title-deed, duly 
siofued and attested, which we have been so 
long endeavoring to find. It makes you a 
most welcome visitor to this house, and it 
puts my daughter and myself under ever- 
lasting obligations, for we cannot now be 
driven from our home, nor can the church 
and village be dispossed of their property, 
the title of which has been questioned by 
]^ew York lawyers." 



OF Revolutionary Times. 105 

Visitors were now coming constantly, 
and as the good news sped from month to 
month soon the whole village was astir with 
excitement. A band of music which had 
been engaged for the Easter festivities were 
in triumphant blast, bonfires were blazing, 
and the multitude gathered on the lawn 
were jubilant with their acclamations. And 
as the Major locked up the document in his 
strong box, after showing it to Dr. Holy- 
oake, who had carefully examined it, " It 
is," said the Doctor, "a veritable Easter-egg, 
and it is the truth of the words of the 
prophet that ' the liberal soul devises liberal 
things, and by liberal things shall he stand.'" 
To which the crowd shouted a loud " Amen." 



106 Eecollectio:n's 



CHAPTER YI. 

" happy youth! 
For whom thy fates reserve so fair a bride:" 

Dryden. 

Seven years had passed since the events 
recorded in the last chapter. MolUe Mason 
had run away with her French dancing-mas- 
ter; her cousin, Joe, had left his father's 
farm to become a merchant's clerk in ^ew 
York, where he gradually rose to be a jun- 
ior partner, aided, doubtless, by the bags of 
doubloons found in the plate chest. Being 
of a quiet and industrious disposition he 
improved himself by reading and study. 
Sundays were always spent in the country 
and his Sunday evenings at the honse of 
Major Waring, where he continued to be a 
most welcome visitor, when he and Miss 
Fannie charmed the neighbors with duets. 
For Joe had not only improved by reading 
and study, but especially cultivated a fine 
tenor voice. 



or Revolutionary Times, 107 

The Major had added a tower to the 
church by way of a thank-offering for his 
unexpected delivery, to which the inhabi- 
tants had added a peal of bells, which were 
now in full swing, as a coach and four drove 
from the church door with a happy pair, 
just united in mati-imony by the venerable 
Dr Holyoake; for, as may be imagined, the 
seven years of devotion, (like that of Jacob 
for his Rachel ) had been rewarded by the 
hand and fortune of the belle of the village- 
Indeed, Major Waring was often heard to 
observe, that he could not do better than to 
bestow the hand of his daughter on one who 
had been so constant and had been the in- 
strument, under Providence, of saving his 
family, church, and village from threatened 
ruin. 

The school and the villagers were enter- 
tained at the mansion of Major Waring, 
where a fancy dress-party were celebrating 
the joyful occasion with a morris-dance. 

As the Reverend Dr. Holyoake had a 
good deal to do with managing these open 
air festivals, they naturally assumed the ap- 
pearance of similar festivities held on the 



108 Kecollectio:n^s 

English village greens, althongb such Whit- 
sun-ales were always observed with becom- 
ing' docorum. The Doctor was no anchorite 
and always preached and practiced modera- 
tion, insisting that although all people at the 
Church festivals should greatly rejoice, yet 
they should not make beasts of themselves ; 
often referring to Gregory the Great, who 
recommended hilarity but not inebriety, that 
the animals sacrificed in his time'^Dia- 
bolo, — to the Devil," should be eaten by 
Christian people " Ad laudem Dei, — to the 
praise of God." 

Some time after Joe Mason and his wife's 
return from a European tour, which in those 
days was by no means as common as in 
more modern times, an addition w as made 
to the old Dutch farm-house, in which Joe 
was born, and which gave an air of greater 
style to the house intended for the accommo- 
dation of the young people. The 'New 
York architect, however, was governed in 
his design by the English taste for Gothic 
architecture, just then reviving. 

There was a huge fire-place and an oak- 
panelled ceiling much more elegant than 



OF Revolutionary Times. 109 

the heavy timbered roof in the entrance hall 
of the old Dutch farm-house. The family 
had learned to highly prize the house in 
which the hidden plate-chest had been found, 
and they had determined not to part with 
it but rather to improve the land about it by 
not only planting an avenue of trees from 
the road to the house, but with additional 
plantations and other improvements and 
embellishments, being in no wise deterred by 
fear of the goblin that had watched over the 
treasure trove. 



110 Eecollections 



CONCLUSIOIS". 

"All's well that ends well." 

Shakes2)eare. 

The foregoing tale was told by cousin 
Jack, the Church-warden of St. Paul's, as he 
drove little Mary to and from her school in 
Albany, where she had been sent by her 
parents, to finish her education; for they 
had removed to Troy, IN". Y., with cousin 
Jack, soon after the yule-tide party at her 
grandfather's house, which old farm-house 
continued to be the resort of the grand- 
children for many years after; indeed, un- 
til they were grown up and married and 
had homes of their own in different parts 
of the country. 

Mrs. Starr's boarding-school in Albany 
was quite eminent at that time until Mrs. 
Emma Willard had established her famous 
Female Seminary in Troy, N. Y. The roads 
between Troy and Albany in those days 
were rough, ill-made, and not much traveled. 



OF Revolutionary Times. Ill 

so that Miss Mary was glad to avail her- 
self of her cousin's polite invitation to drive 
over. 

The Church -warden continued his " Re- 
collections of Revolutionary Times " as he 
drove to and from Albany, which it seems, 
the young lady committed to paper and 
transmitted to her cousins residing in the 
old homestead. 

As the manuscript related to ^'Revolution- 
ary Times " it naturally found its way into 
the receptacle provided for such travelers' 
tales not in but over the fire-place, and yet 
the story has this merit of being something 
more than a mere traveler's tale, for the 
title-deed is now on record, which proved 
to be so acceptable an Easter egg to Major 
Waring ; and his friends and the school were 
also equally substantial, although seeming 
to be but a part of a fairy tale. 

Title to land in the Colony of ^ew York 
in the last century was very much as it was 
in England. The eldest son must sign off 
with his father in case an entailed estate * 

* The earliest statute abolishing entailed estates 
was passed in 1782. 



1 12 Kecollectio:n^s 

was sold. This it appears actually hap- 
pened on the banks of the Hudson although 
the estate was not in Westchester County, 
and as in the story a multitude of innocent 
purchasers might have been ruined had it 
not been that a title deed was accidently 
discovered, properly signed, and which is 
now on record. Had not this discovery 
been timely made a most useful Institution 
similar to that described in the foregoing 
story would have been greatly damaged if 
not utterly ruined, all of which is an addi- 
tional proof, if one were needed, that there 
is a wise over-ruling Providence causing 
useful discoveries to be made where they 
are most needed. 

Moreover, people began to talk about the 
attention of the Church-warden to his fair 
cousin. Miss Mary, and in spite of objections 
made by their relatives, the young lady de- 
clared she would rather be his daughter 
than another man's wife, having been sin- 
cerely attached to her cousin Jack ever 
since their merry making in the old farm- 
house " Round about the Yule-log." 




^vm^'^jj^y.-^ 



Recollections 113 



APPEIS^DIX. 



This ruinous chimney has quite a history ; 
for after the old house was burnt (some- 
where about 1825) the chimney remained 
standing, serving as a landmark, for half a 
century, to ships going in and out of the 
harbor of N^orwalk. When at length it fell, 
there rolled out from a secret deposit a capa- 
cious earthern jar filled with papers. This, 
with the seal unbroken, was sent to the 
editor, who had previously received from 
the proprietor the old arm-chair and kitchen 
clock, with a request from the donor that 
if there was money in the jar a dividend 
should be made among the numerous de- 
scendants of the original proprietor. 

It would seem that the Yule-log annu- 
ally burnt in this chimney has brought good 
luck as if it stood on fairy ground. 



114 OF Kevolutioxaky Times. 



A YULE SONG. 

Now blazing yule logs crown the hearth, 
Dispensing warmth with light and mirth; 
Now Christmas gambols, quaint and rare, 
Delight the heart and banish care. 
Chorus. 
* Rejoice ! our Saviour He was born 
On Christmas day in the morning. 

Now holly boughs bedeck the wall, 

In loAvly cot and lofty hall, 

And mistletoe with promise fair. 

Its berries yields to those who dare. 
Chorus. 
Rejoice ! our Saviour He was born 
On Christmas day in the morning. 

Then open wide the stately hall, 

And banquet spread for great and small; 

And we with garlands gay will bring 

The tuneful harp, and ever sing. 
Chorus. 
Rejoice ! our Saviour He was born 
On Christmas day in the morning. 

* This chorus is to be found in several old Eng- 
lish carols, and is quoted by Mr. Irving in his 
Sketch Book. For music, see Carols and Operet- 
tas published by Pond & Co. 



OF Revolutioxary Times. 115 



appe:n^dix b. 



These tales of Revolutionary Times were 
suggested to the author by the history of 
an institution originating many years since 
by a benevolent old lady, a native of ^Nor- 
walk, Conn., who, with her husband and 
family, had immigrated to Troy, ^N^. Y., in 
1798 ; where being much interested in the 
planting of the Church in that village, had 
endeavored to promote the interest of St. 
Paul's, founded in 1804, by looking after the 
Catechetical instruction of the children. 

Among the evil consequences of the 
unnatural war of 1812, was the increase of 
neglected children amongst the poorer 
class. The pious and benevolent old lady 
collected as many of these as she conven- 
iently could for a Saturday sewing-school, 
or school of industry, in which they were 
taught their Catechism and plain sewing. 
From this small beginning was developed 



116 Recollections 

a Mission Church, the corner-stone of 
which was laid the 25th of April, 1844. 
" We had," says the Diary of the founder 
of the Mission Church, " a bright and glo- 
rious day for our services, which, I trust, is 
an omen of the smiles and approbation 
of an overruling Providence on our under- 
taking." 

The prayer of the founder seemed to 
have been answered in a remarkable man- 
ner and to be in harmony with the dream of 
the old lady who originated the school. We 
quote from the Diary: " I would observe, 
that, as the life of my aged mother ap- 
proached its termination, her thoughts often- 
times seemed to soar to far distant scenes, 
and sometimes to be lost in visions of eter- 
nity. She would frequently exclaim, after 
rising from sleep, ^ Where am I? Have I 
come back again? O what beautiful things 
I have seen! how beautiful ! how sweet!' 
And aofain, ' What beautiful candle sticks 
I have seen for the Church ; so surpassingly 
so that they are indescribable! ' " 

The old lady died in 1835, bequeathing 
the little school to her daughter-in-law who 



or Revolutionary Times. 117 

had promised to continue it, greatly to the 
dying woman's satisfaction. 

In 1839 this Saturday sewing-school was 
converted into a day school, using the up- 
per room of the Sunday-school of St. Paul's 
Church, by the kind permission of the 
Vestry. 

One Monday morning, in the summer of 
1843, the patroness of the little school went 
in as usual and found the children all in 
tears. On inquiring the cause of the dis- 
turbance, she was told by Miss Pierce, the 
teacher, that the Sunday-school Superinten- 
dent had just been in, and had lectured the 
children on the impropriety of uniting their 
voices with the regular choir. The chil- 
dren had six or eight pews set apart for 
them in the south gallery, next to the organ 
loft in St. Paul's Church, and as they had 
been for several years taking music lessons 
of the late Professor "William Hopkins they 
had become quite accomplished singers 
for children; but the choir were unwilling, 
the Superintendent said, that the children 
should assist in the music of the church, 
and that unless he could stop them they 
would quit. 



118 Recollections 

This musical strike frightened the Super- 
intendent, who was a benevolent man, and 
doubtless had no idea of the j^ain he was 
inflicting. The patroness said to the chil- 
dren, "Dry your eyes, and like good chil- 
dren do as you are bid, and you shall soon 
have a church of your own to sing in, and 
in which you can sing to your hearts' con- 
tent." 

The children had been a little exalted 
since their elevation to the organ loft on 
the Holidays occurring on week-days, and 
since a Sunday-school celebration at Avhich 
they assisted at a Choral Service, on which 
occasion the venerable Superintendent ex- 
pressed himself decidely pleased, declaring 
" that it was very solemn." 

The children were evidently proud of 
serving in the sanctuary, Avhich is not very 
strange when we consider that they had 
very little to be proud of at home. By the 
way, it is noteworthy that since children 
sang Hosanna in the Temple to the pres- 
ent day, the service of praise has always 
brought with it a social advantage and dig- 
nity. However, the patroness of the school 



OF Revolutiois^aky Times. 119 

had made provision for a Missionary Church 
in her will. On the spur of the moment 
she decided to be her own executor, other- 
wise the matter might have been deferred 
indefinitely. These musical services at 
St. Paul's were not without good results, 
and much credit is due to the energy and 
zeal of their music-master, who for nearly 
a quarter of a century continued his ser- 
vices, which were highly appreciated. Even 
the Bishop of the Diocese, distinguished for 
his musical taste, said to the writer, " that if 
it were not for robbing you I would try and 
persuade your choir-master to come to l^ew 
York"; for northern 'New York had not at 
that time been separated. 

At the laying of the corner-stone of the 
Mission Church the following anthems were 
sung : 1st. " O, send out Thy light and 
Thy truth;" 2d. ^' Great is the Lord, and 
greatly to be praised in the city of our God, 
in the mountain of His holiness." The or- 
chestral accompaniment was led by Pro- 
fessor William Hopkins, who then laid the 
foundation of the choir, which has since 
become quite celebrated. 



120 Recollections 

The Missionary Church was thus deter- 
mined on, with the approbation of the 
founder's children, the youngest of whom, 
George Henry, promised to give a lot for the 
Church, Avhich promise was faithfully kept 
when he came of age; whilst her daughter 
offered to furnish the painted glass, and her 
son, Stephen E., ^^romised a bell which he 
afterwards increased to a peal. 

Many other offerings have been made 
from time to time by pious persons inter- 
ested in the Church. 

Another who proposed to give the organ, 
being of an ecclesiological turn of mind, 
suggested the ruins of the Lady Chapel of 
Glastonbury Abbey as a model, being not 
a little influenced doubtless by an ancient 
tradition. It is said that St. Joseph of 
Arimathea with some of his disciples landed 
in Britain on a Christmas Eve, planted his 
staff on the ground where afterwards a 
Chapel was built, and discovered next morn- 
ing that the staff had taken root, and like 
Aaron's rod had brought forth leaves and 
flowers on " Christmas day in the morning." 

The suggestion was adopted with some 



OF Kevolutionary Times. 121 

modification, and the building has been 
added to from time to time until it has 
grown into a goodly sized Church of nearly 
one hundred and thirty feet in length, and the 
centre of a picturesque group of buildings. 

It is a singular coincidence that the 
Church was first opened for service on 
Christmas Eve, under the care of the Rev. 
J. Ireland Tucker, S. T. D., under whose 
spiritual charge it has continued, and like 
St. Joseph's staff has taken root and 
brought forth branches and flowers like a 
modern Arimathean Christmas-tree. 

A correspondant of the " Troy Times " 
of May 9, 1894, writes as follows: 

" It was with deep interest that I, one of 
the former pupils of the ' boys' school of 
the Holy Cross,' read the announcement 
of the semi-centennial anniversary of that 
well known and beautiful stone church upon 
Eighth Street, of which Eev. Dr. J. Ireland 
Tucker has been pastor for half a century. 
The doctor's late historical sermon has 
aroused many memories to my mind, for I 
have attended the Holy Cross, more or less, 
since I was ten years old. 



122 Recollectioi^s 

" It was a church that impressed the young, 
particularly by its ritual and architecture, 
so diiferent from the other churches of the 
city at that day, for it was the advance 
guard of that mighty host which has spread 
throughout our whole land, worshipping the 
Lord in the ' beauty of holiness.' 

"It is worthy of mention, that out of that 
band of young presbyters, who in 1844 par- 
ticipated in the laying of the corner-stone, 
four afterward became distinguished pre- 
lates of the church, — Drs. Kip, Potter, 
Williams, and Bissel. Bishop Williams is 
at present presiding bishop of the United 
States, while several of the other clergy 
also reached positions of eminence, Drs. 
Van Kleeck and Twing occupying the 
position of missionary secretary in ^ew 
York, and Dr. Fairbairn now being presi- 
dent of St. Stephen's College, Annandale, 
N.Y. 

" It was soon discovered, before the Chapel 
was half finished, that the school-house be- 
hind St. Paul's Church was too far removed, 
therefore the old Mansion House, built by 
Jacob D. Yanderheyden, 1794, was pro- 



OF Revolutioxary Times. 123 

cured for the new Mission Church, nearly 
opposite on Eighth Street. In style and 
size the building was very like the manor 
house at the north end of Albany, and be- 
fore Seventh and Eighth Streets were made 
it was surrounded by a beautiful grove of 
walnut trees, twenty-one acres in extent, 
which must have given it very much the 
appearance of an old English manor house. 
The girls' school occupied spacious rooms 
on the ground floor until it was burnt down 
in the great fire of 1862, when the present 
school-house was built." 

The patroness of this little school had 
been accustomed to give annually to the 
children of the Institution two entertain- 
ments, — the Christmas-tree at her residence, 
31 Third Street, or at the Yanderheyden 
mansion, corner of Grand and Eighth 
Streets, and a midsummer or strawberry 
festival at Mt. Ida, her summer residence. 
These parties have been continued by her 
sons, who, in memory of their loving 
mother, have kept up their observance. 

Dramatic entertainments have grown out 
of these children's parties, like the plays 



124 Recollections 

which in ancient times used to follow the 
great festival, and which were doubtless in- 
tended to impress on the minds of young 
people the teaching of the great doctrines 
of the Christian faith. 



OF Revolutionary Times. 125 



APPENDIX C. 



Choral Service. 

The example of the Choral Service which 
originated Avith the Church of the Holy 
Cross, Troy, N^. Y., was very slowly fol- 
lowed, at first in Boston and then in 'New 
York. Objections were made to it on the 
ground of its irregularity ; these seem to be 
best answered by the following extract from 
an address made by the late Dr. Hodges, or- 
ganist and choir-master of Trinity Church, 
New York, to the Church Choral Society at 
its first meeting at St. John's Sunday-school 
room, New York, on Wednesday evening, 
Jan. 7, 1852. 

" The unsolicited honor of an appoint- 
ment as first or senior organist of this 
Church Choral Society having been con- 
ferred upon me, it has become my duty to 
undertake the musical direction of this, our 
first meeting for practice. 



126 Recollection^s 

" You may be well assured that this inci- 
dent has forced upon me much matter for 
serious reflection; and I would not enter 
upon the duty lightly or unadvisedly, but 
^discreetly, reverently, and in the fear of 
God;' well knowing that although our prac- 
tice meetings be not strictly assemblies for 
Divine Worshij:), they are professedly in- 
tended as preparations thereto, and there- 
fore should be conducted in a reverential 
spirit. 

" Let but such a spirit prevail among us, 
and our meetings will be profitable, even if 
our musical performances should not attain 
to the standard of absolute perfection. We 
shall be endeavoring to do some small por- 
tion of the Church's work, and let us not 
doubt that a blessing will go with the en- 
deavor." 

The Protestant Episcopal Church of the 
United States, although she has never legis- 
lated against musical services, has I believe 
never in her official or corporate capacity 
done anything to promote them. She has 
never founded any "choirs," she has not 



OF Kevolutionary Times. 127 

appointed by rubric any place where an 
anthem may be sung. :N^ow the reason of 
this may be found in the troublous times 
which immediately preceded her first regu- 
lar incorporation as a Church, properly 
organized under her own Bishops. Times 
of war and tumult and revolution were never 
favorable to such estabhshments. For a 
long time preceding, indeed, it seems doubt- 
ful whether all knowledge of what in the 
constitution of this society is termed ^^ truly 
ecclesiastical music" had not died out of 
the land, even if it were ever previously im- 
ported into it. It is not to be wondered, 
therefore, that the compilers of the Ameri- 
can Prayer-book should have omitted such 
a rubric as occurs in the English book after 
the third Collect at Morning and Evening 
Prayer: " In choirs and places where they sing 
here folloiveth the Anthem.'''' They might have 
reasoned, "Of what possible use can such a 
rubric be to us, seeing that there is not a 
choir in the ' whole country capable of sing- 
ing an anthem, or of doing more than pro- 
ducing a bad imitation of a metrical psalm 
tune?' This will be so perhaps for genera- 



128 Recollections 

tions jet to come. The anthem rubric will, 
therefore, be perfectly superfluous. Strike 
it out. If time should change and need its 
introduction, it can be replaced by our suc- 
cessors." 

In a similar manner, and from precisely 
the same cause, the j^ointing of the Psalter 
was also omitted. 

!Now both of these circumstances are 
much to be regretted, but I cannot imagine 
that any legitimate argument can be drawn 
from them adverse to the chanting of the 
psalms for the day, or to the occasional or 
even stated performance of an anthem, if 
" choirs and places where they sing " can 
now be found amongst us. 

"We will consider it then as a settled 
point that the Church did not legislate 
against music, but merely adapted her reg- 
ulations to the exigencies of the time. Ac- 
cordingly she has given us a rubric j^refixed 
to the Psalms and Hymns in metre, " to ap- 
point the portions of Psalms which are to he 
sung f and further, but in this case "with such 
assistance as he can ohtain from persons skilled 
in music, to give orders concerning the tunes 



OF Eevolutioxary Times. 129 

to he sung ;'^ and especially to suppress all 
light and unseemly music (that is, as we un- 
derstand it, all music not of a " truly eccle- 
siastical'' description) and all indecency and 
irreverence in the performance, by which 
vain and ungodly persons profane the Sanc- 
tuary." From this, as also from several 
rubrics prefixed to the Venite, the Te Deum 
Laudamiis, and other portions of the service, 
appointing them to be either "said or sung," 
it is perfectly evident that the Church looked 
to the possible introduction of music as a 
stated part of Divine Worship. 

But, more than this, — in the Preface to 
the Prayer-book she states explicitly her 
wish to assimilate her usages as far as prac- 
ticable to those of the Church of England. 
These are the words : " It will appear that 
this Church is far from intending to depart 
from the Church of England in any essential 
point of doctrine, discipHne, or worship^ or 
further than local circumstances require,^^ 

Note. — The Editor had the h(ni()ur to be elected First 
Vice-President of the Church Choral Society. 



